Grace for the Appointed Knight
by GammaTheOmega
Summary: She was typically known to be shy in many ways, but with the combination of a pleasant surprise, and a bit of influence, she began to demonstrate unrelenting confidence for the young Hylian warrior. Dive into the untold tale of Mipha and Link's secret love affair just before the calamity outbreak.
1. Prolouge

**Prologue**

"You really don't remember, do you?"

Heavy downpour fell from the sky as Sidon's stance became firm. A much shorter figure stood next to him, and his garments rustled as he stood upright. His gaze was trained on a marble statue in front of him. The ancient blade that sealed the darkness was slung across his back.

Sidon continued to face his unprecedented guest. "You and she were very close,"

The lay of the rain around them clouded their breaths. The knight that stood before Sidon was frozen in silence. The hood over his head covered his eyes.

A morbid dark cloud was hung up above.

Sidon stared as the rain pelted his eyes. "Is there nothing you wish to say?"

The cascade of silence between them made way for more doubt. The elegant marble statue bore the presence of a beautiful and ancient memory; patiently it waited for him in solitude. The wear from the constant wash of water melted streaks against the marble frame. It trickled down to the stone floor and ran sharply across their feet.

And the knight stood motionless there before it.

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__🎶 Und1fin3d - Try ___🎶  
_

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_In light of all the covid stuff, I decided to rewrite this story from the top down.  
I figured maybe I'd have enough time on my hands to get back into a steady posting schedule. Since everyone's probably hunkering down at home, I'll put out the first few chapters as a freebie._


	2. Champion Mipha

_This story can be enjoyed with music! _

_Keep an eye out for the song tag(s) at the end of each chapter! The best way to find these songs is to simply search them up on youtube _🎶

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**Chapter 1 - Champion Mipha**

Mercilessly, the sun beat down from above, and the rush of an ancient waterfall echoed across the sides of two tall mountain ranges.

The glare above the summit was fierce and it tested the lifespan of the structures that stood before it.

The western summit, Mount Polymus, was tethered with seemingly endless streams of water that all winded down toward a basin where the fabled Zora lived for centuries.

The waterfall continued its static serenade.

At the edge of the cascade stood an elegant figure, coated with bright red skin. Her presence was sublime, and it was said that her cold stare alone could cure diseases.

Like stars in the night sky, her mind was a tethered framework of somber solitude, and just like the ocean, it was elegantly volatile and endlessly beautiful.

On this day, a Royal Family member would be arriving to the domain with matters regarding the risk of an impending calamity. As an heir to the throne, her day was busy, but she waited patiently for the arrival of the messenger.

Too many hours in the day made her mind grow tired and jaded. As the wind blew, she heard the soft churning of grass in the distance and closed her eyes to try and take in the silence.

Just as her tranquility became anchored, the sound of footsteps in the grass was heard nearby, and the closer they got, the more she became unsettled.

"Princess Mipha," She heard from behind.

The steps grew nearer.

Feeling intruded and severed from her peace, Mipha turned around to see a princess, and not a courier, clad in traditional Hylian blue. Her garments were modest but they gave off a tame sense of authority. In a gradual motion, Princess Zelda walked closer to Mipha and met her with a modest smile.

"It's so nice to finally meet you," said Zelda.

A moment of silence split the air. Mipha waited patiently for her to continue.

Zelda straightened her back. "I apologize for the delay. I passed the river basin before collapsing for air."

Mipha's eyes were glazed over. "You must be exhausted."

Her jewelry rattled as she turned to face the domain.

Far down below, a small heir named Sidon could be seen ceaselessly throwing water into the air, pretending to toss arms with a fierce opponent.

Mipha smiled and stared down towards the basin. "You will have to forgive me while I watch over him."

Waves of concern flew lovingly from her eyes as Sidon stomped across the water several meters below. It became quickly apparent to Zelda that Mipha was resilient. Her body resonated a profound and somber energy. The deep vinework of powerful emotions that she carried often staggered those who stood before her.

Zelda, was firm and a little bit abrasive. Curious to see, she carefully peeked over the ledge of the waterfall to take a closer look.

Her knees began to shake and she took a step back. "I don't think I realized how high up we were." She cleared her throat. "I admire your composure!"

Mipha laughed quietly and kneeled at the edge of the cascade. She was not one to entertain modesty due to the ocean of thoughts she tended to carry. She took a moment to calm her mind before responding.

Mipha looked over her shoulder. "I am aware now that you are here to seek my role as Champion." She stood up slowly. "May I ask you who the other chosen Champions are?"

Zelda shifted in place and took the time to adjust herself. "You may:" she replied. "Goron vigilance, Daruk. Rito confidence, Revali." The wind blew once more.

"Gerudo Spirit, Urbosa and-" She paused. "Link, the Appointed Knight. The one with the sword that seals the darkness."

A cold chill came over her at the mention of his name.

Mipha sat in silence trying to recount her distant memories. She recalled a small, feisty, and engaged young warrior with soft and rosy cheeks. Many years had passed since then and she had no other account of his appearance apart from his blonde hair and teeming blue eyes.

Mipha paused and knelt down at the edge of the waterfall again. "I haven't heard that name in years."

Zelda gave her a crooked eye. She found it curious that Mipha focused on the Knight. Before she could open her mouth to speak, Mipha suddenly sprang to her feet and leaned over the waterfall.

"Sidon that's enough now." she said. "Hurry and swim up here!"

Zelda's concern churned around in her stomach and suddenly became urgent. She walked closer to Mipha and placed her hand on her shoulder.

"I am not one to say, but perhaps he is still too young to swim up this waterfall," Zelda said. "I do not think it is very safe for him to try."

Mipha turned around and glared at Zelda. The stillness in her eyes made her retreat her pride.

"Princess," Her brow tightened. "I wish not to seem frank, but he may not have another opportunity to survive without me."

Zelda winced as Mipha continued to speak.

"If I must leave him to face my fate with Ruta, he must be fully prepared to take the throne." Mipha's hand ran across a vibrant necklace around her neck. "I hope you can understand." Mipha honed her sights down below. "If you'll excuse me for a moment."

Suddenly, she jumped up into the air and flung her body downward as she plunged into the edge of the cascade.

Zelda frantically stumbled over to the edge of the waterfall and began to shake. Her eyes caught sight of Mipha grazing across the ripping current of the waterfall, and within just a matter of seconds, she landed inside the water basin right next to Sidon.

A pair of tiny hands were heard patting up against the water as Mipha swam toward a shallow ledge.

Up above, Zelda shivered frantically at Mipha's sudden gesture and knelt carefully at the edge of the waterfall. Down below, Mipha swam gently toward Sidon and placed a hand on his shoulder. She looked into his eyes tenderly and smiled at him.

"I think it's time." she said to him. "It's ok to feel nervous. We'll go together so you can get a feel for it."

Sidon eagerly swam toward Mipha and braced his tiny hands onto Mipha's shoulders. Without a second to spare, she bolted towards the waterfall and swam up-stream with overwhelming speed. Valiantly, they scaled the fierce current. The ripping tide shook beneath Sidon's tight embrace. After only a few seconds of facing the current, Sidon had almost lost grip and let out a distressed cry, but when he looked at his sister, who gracefully rode the current of the waterfall without an ounce of fear in her eyes, he calmed himself enough to quickly regain control. They were nearing the foot of the waterfall where Zelda stood waiting, and in an attempt to keep her safe, Mipha veered slightly to the left of the waterfall and called for Sidon's attention before they were out of space to work with.

"Ready?" she said over her shoulder.

In the knick of time, she reached behind her back and grabbed Sidon by the wrist. With her leg positioned against the wall, she forced themselves from out of the current, and launched high above the stone platform where Zelda stood motionless. Whilst in midair, Mipha locked her sights with a spot on the ground and grabbed Sidon's wrist tightly. She bent her legs toward the ground and landed firmly next to Zelda, who's face was painted with white with shock.

Mipha laid Sidon down beside her carefully. His feet touched the ground and he gleamed with excitement. The boy could not contain his energy. Mipha smiled and placed a hand on his shoulder, but Sidon bounced around playfully in place regardless.

"Sweet Sidon, " she ran her hand across his cheek. "Your life is so precious to us all." She leaned in closer and lowered her voice. "Should fate ever part us, we will count on you to protect our beloved home from harm. I will always be with you."

Still a bit hyper, Sidon nodded and he threw himself into Mipha's arms wtih glee. She giggled and held him tightly in her arms.

"You will have nothing to fear so long as you remember my words." She whispered. She leaned away from him and stood up straight. "Now - shall we try one more time?"

In that moment, Zelda grunted and walked over to Mipha.

She stood firmly beside her. "Mipha, I apologize, but I think I'm going to walk back to the more _stable_ part of the domain before I have a panic attack. This altitude is getting to me."

Mipha dusted off her garments and approached her calmly. "That's understandable, there's no need to explain." She lifted Sidon into her arms and turned to look at Zelda once more. "Please, allow me to accompany you."

The warmth of the sun faded as they walked closely together down the mountain. The day grew weary, and both of them still had very busy days ahead of them. Down below, the bright glow of the Zora's Domain could be seen beneath the overcast; time would soon bring this day to a close.

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🎶 Endless Melancholy - These Gloomy Days 🎶

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_First attempt at writing!_

_Trying to keep all these characters close to their true personalities. Hopefully, the result will be a near-accurate tale of what may have happened between Mipha and Link during the time of pre-calamity/champion inauguration! ~(˘▾˘~) _

_Please do review/critique._


	3. The Unarmed Carraige

**Chapter 2 – The Unarmed Carriage**

She rose up to the sound of the waterfall rushing gently in the distance, awoken from a dream about her childhood for the first time in years. Ancient memories began to flood her mind as she stood up from her bed to walk over to her dresser.

There was a tall white mirror above it, and it reflected morning light into the stillness of her room. A groggy hand came across her face as she began to put on her traditional day garments, and started by placing her Zora Sapphire around her neck.

Though her mind was still spinning from her dream, she knew she had to stay focused.

A long sigh escaped her chest.

The mirror in front of her told no lies. Doubt and humility would not allow her to see it, but her beauty was always elegantly displayed before her. The majesty of her complexion that had been passed down for countless generations was beveled gracefully upon her frame.

Just then, she heard a knock on her door, and she began to put on the rest of her clothes as she walked towards it. "Just a moment." she said.

It was typical for her to be alert in the morning, but for some reason on this day she was restless. After finishing her morning routine, she took one last look in the mirror before heading toward the door.

She pulled the door open and peered around the corner to see Sidon waiting patiently with a toy spear in his hand.

Glee filled her heart as she took him by the hand and walked with him down a massive lined corridor.

There was a lot for her to do today, starting with sending Sidon off about his day.

Her thoughts, however, quickly turned back to the dream she had the night before.

The more she continued to let her mind wander, the more she became unaware of her surroundings. Onward she walked through the long corridor leading to the King's quarters, and as they made their way, a guard by the name of Tottika noticed her and stood to attention.

He was a soldier who typically stood watch over the northern keep, and like many other Zora at the Domain, he had a pitch-black haze above his white underbelly. A lot of the Zora of this era had red, blue or even green skin tones, but there were many who were born with a high pigmentation count - which in turn gave them their black overtone.

He was still somewhat young - the equivalent of about 16 years old - but he stood tall with broad shoulders and had a confident gaze.

"Good evening my lady." he said. "It is well to see you up so early."

He cut himself off in shock as Mipha blindly walked past him, without saying hello. Sidon was still following alongside and Tottika followed after them with urgency.

It was quite unlike her to be so unaware, and young children were strictly prohibited from the King's quarters.

"M-majesty, I am afraid the child cannot go inside your father's room." Tottika muttered.

Mipha snapped back to reality as she looked down to see Sidon tightly in her grip with a slightly confused look in his face.

He paused and looked at her with concern. "Is everything alright?"

Mipha shook off her delirium and quickly re-engaged her focus. "Forgive me, Tottika" her eyes glanced to the side. "My current involvement can get the best of me." She looked at him with humility.

There was a short pause. He looked at Mipha with regained concern. His gaze faded. "My lady - you do recall the King wishes to meet with yourself and the council later this afternoon - right?"

Mipha froze and stopped her breath short.

Tottika nodded in response and cleared his throat. "It's quite alright. I am sure the King will be ready for you at your convenience. I will be here if you need anything."

Mipha bowed gently toward Tottika. "Thank you."

He unveiled the seal covering the entrances to Dorephan's room and stood to attention as Mipha walked up the massive stairs leading up to the top floor. Once she arrived at the doorway, she noticed that the water fountains he usually kept on were turned off. Dorephan's room was this rather lavish and elegant display of lights and water, and the controls for these displays were right next to his throne.

Wishing to be around all things elegant, she made her way towards the throne and pulled the main lever which controlled the water ducts from above.

A loud clunk was heard followed by the gentle sound of water trickling down the pillars. The ground quickly became covered with highly purified water, which was said to have profound healing and meditative properties. It covered the ground and within seconds, over an inch of water had covered the floor. The ground was tethered with gorgeous architecture, which guided the water into elegant streams flowing in a continuous motion toward the base of the domain.

Mipha took a deep breath in and closed her eyes as the gentle sound of water trickling down the pillars relaxed her mind.

Without wanting to, her thoughts were dragged back into delirium.

Just ahead, a door behind the throne opened and a massive Zoran figure slowly made his way up the stairs behind the pew. This behemoth of a Zora was King Dorephan. He took his time walking towards the throne, grumbling as he made his way to sit down when suddenly, he saw Mipha knelt before the throne.

He became startled by her presence. He paused and he took notice of Mipha's trance-like state. He did not know that she would already be there waiting.

"My daughter," he said softly. "What a pleasant surprise to see you up so early."

Mipha, seemingly unconscious, did not respond to her father. Dorephan quickly became concerned and raised his voice slightly. The sound of water rushed inside Mipha's mind as it toned out the sound of her father's voice.

"_Mipha?!_" His urgency grew and his voice became firm.

She jolted back awake and took a sharp breath in. He leaned in closer with a concerned leer. "Are you alright?"

Mipha shook her head.

Dorephan looked at her with concern. "What is this about?"

She shook her head. Her eyes avoided her father's. "It's nothing."

Her father nodded his head curiously and leaned back in his throne. The marble cracked under the pressure. _"_Please do not scare me like that."

Mipha raised her gaze to meet her eyes with her father's. A feeling of reassurance came over her as she straightened herself upright.

"I'm sure it is a lot of pressure you are under, but I have no doubt this is something you are fully capable of taking on."

His weight rattled the frame of the room as he laid his self down with a loud grunt. "I'm sure you're bored of hearing about these things, but there are further matters regarding your impending interaction with Divine Beast Ruta." He looked at his daughter and took a breath before continuing. "The council has been closely examining the candidates and a decision has almost been made." Mipha stiffened her gaze on her father as he continued. "Obviously, there are rumors that Hylian Royal family is going to elect _you_ pilot the divine beast."

Mipha stood silently as her father continued.

Dorephan grunted. "Zelda has already elected _you_ as a champion. She still hasn't sent requests yet; we all think it would be the only option,"

He paused once more. His loving eyes burned blue for his daughter.

"Do not feel that you have to respond to this right away, Mipha." Dorephan said. "We can take our time with these things."

A lofty breath left his chest.

The sound of frantic footsteps slowly emerged from the stairs leading up to his room and interrupted his thoughts. To their surprise, Tottika stumbled into the room with shrieking urgency and cut off the king in mid-stride. He was sweating profusely and was struggling to catch his breath. Dorephan looked at Tottika with a leer of discontent as he immediately stood at attention.

"Your majesty," Tottika said. "Forgive that I interrupt your privacy, but _an unarmed carriage has just been marked _heading towards the domain without authorization."

Dorephan tapped his fingers impatiently. "Well - who is it?"

Tottika shuddered as he maintained his stiffened pose of attention. "It's unidentifiable due to the low-set fog. By what we can tell, the caravan is marked with the traditional blue seal of the Hylian Royal guard." He doubled over to catch his breath.

Dorephan relaxed as he leaned back against the throne. "Let them come closer,"

Mipha flinched in place.

Dorephan sighed and shook his head. "We will have to postpone the council meeting." He reached behind his throne and pulled out a large trident spear. "Continue to watch over caravan until it becomes compromised."

Tottika nodded and readied his weapon. "Understood. We will mobilize at once." He turned around and beckoned to a group of soldiers from below the main foyer, and they swiftly made their way towards the main entrance of the domain.

Mipha stared in confusion. This was all so strange; it seemed even stranger that everyone was so quick to become apprehensive.

She turned to her father. "Is there any reason to create alarm?"

Dorephan looked deep into his daughter's eyes and glared.

"My sweet daughter." he said. "There are many things we still do not understand."

Mipha turned. Her silence replied. She reached behind the throne and withdrew her spear; perfectly cut rubies were beveled across the handle.

"Then I will come with you."

* * *

Dozens of soldiers took watch across the palace spires, and Mipha stood with her father at the main entrance behind her 2 chief guards - Tottika and Gaddison.

It was fair to say that the two were an odd pair. Gaddison was a female Zora with a peculiar skin pigmentation that made her skin turn pink, and Tottika was a _male _Zora with a comparably overbearing stature.

Gaddison's hue was not typically seen around the domain. She was relatively short for her age. Gifted early with the passion for enchantments and ancient magic, she was a keen mentalist and offered insight in ways that most in the Domain simply did not understand. As the fog continued to clear, she contemplated the possibility of the carriage carrying another aid, returning to request more tasks of the Zora Domain. The thought of more responsibility immediately doubled the gravity that she had already felt previously.

She reached into a pouch around her waist and pulled out a set of binoculars. "They're hidden densely beneath the fog, but I think I have a visual." Puffs of moisture in the air pushed from her lips as she spoke. "It shouldn't be much longer before it clears."

Mipha squinted her eyes toward the gates. A traditional Hylian logo plated on the front of the carriage could barely be made out across the fog. She became nervous. Her hands were clammy and she could feel herself begin to tremble.

Gaddison sensed her discomfort and leaned over. "Don't worry," she said. "I'm sure there is a reasonable explanation for this."

Mipha looked ahead at the gates. "Surely,"

The fog cleared as the carriage made it's way past the first gate. The guards lined along the domain walls readied their weapons as the gates began to open in front of the caravan. A stiffening silence dropped over the domain as the horses slowed to a halt in front of the chief guards. Gaddison stepped forward to greet the coachman and presented her spear in acknowledgment.

"Come no further," she bellowed.

The guard driving the caravan jumped down from his seat and let out a loud grunt.

He smiled modestly as he approached. "Neighbors," he said. "We have come to introduce _the Appointed Knight_ to the Zora's Domain and all of its legions."

The air became riddened with silence. Mipha winced in disbelief. She gripped on to her spear, and her knees grew weaker.

Gaddison turned to Tottika in shock and gave him a look of dismay. "What is this?" she asked.

Tottika looked at her with benightedness and shook his head. "I don't know,"

While they stood cluelessly, the coachman approached the passenger side of the carriage and opened the door. The hull rocked back and forth as a stocky figure clad in royal blue garments dismounted from the seat. The dust from the ground rose as the knight's boots hit the ground. He pulled back his hood to reveal his face and Mipha's hands began to tremble.

At that very moment, she had laid eyes on him for the first time in years. A mix of shock and discomfort coursed across her spine. She took a step back and pulled her spear close to her chest.

The Appointed Knight dusted his cloak and began to walk towards Tottika and Gaddison. His cloak blew cold against the wind. When he walked, the sound of his garments could be heard across the deafening silence. The Archers' bowstring tightened. He knelt down in respect as he approached their gaze.

Gaddison and Tottika both twitched.

"Master Link," Gaddison shuddered. "What a pleasant surprise to see you."

A cold wind blew across the gates.

"What a shame we could not better prepare for your arrival." She scanned over Link's belongings and noticed that he was not carrying the sword to seal the darkness. The caravan was unarmed.

She turned to Tottika in disbelief "Should we take him in?"

Tottika nodded and glanced over at Dorephan. "If that's what they've come for,"

Gaddison straightened her back and turned to face Link. "Since you have come all this way, it is customary that you greet our King." She put out her hand and beckoned the Appointed Knight to rise. He stood up silently.

The alloy that bound her armor rustled as she turned around and began walking toward Dorephan. Link followed closely behind. Mipha was still paralyzed in front of them and began to calm her breath as they grew closer and closer to her. Link took notice of her and squinted his eyes, for he did not recognize her at first. When he locked eyes with her, he regained memory of the first time he visited the domain - he was much younger at the time and he could vaguely recall cherished memories of his childhood.

He found himself staring as he approached. Something had changed.

Mipha felt his eyes upon her and shifted in place. Her breath grew short.

Her elegance had stained his gaze upon her and he shook his thoughts into place. He's been trained to have the highest discipline, but he simply could not pull his sights off of her.

She became to question the fact that he tied his eyes to her. She glared defensively as they approached.

"Your majesty," Gaddison said. "We have guests,"

The Appointed Knight looked up at Dorephan and dropped down to his knees.

Dorephan chortled and smiled at the boy. "You gave us quite the scare," He paused as he looked Link up and down. "You were much smaller the last time we saw you."

Mipha looked down at him. Her voice wisped out of her throat.

"Where have you been?" Her tone was filled with concern.

Link looked up. He became enveloped by her gentle voice. His thoughts were lost for words.

Dorephan glanced. "Do you remember this boy?"

Mipha turned to her father and stood motionless. Link quickly stiffened up with discomfort.

Mipha flared her brow and interjected before her father could begin a tirade. "_Please be kind._" she said to him quietly.

Dorephan huffed. A moment of clarity came. He picked up the Appointed Knight and wrapped him tightly in his arms. Link grunted as his bones cracked under the pressure of the Dorephan's massive arms.

"It's only once in a blue moon that I get to pick on you," Dorephan bellowed with laughter.

Dorephan laid the Appointed Knight down like a pencil. He stumbled down onto the floor.

He reached out his hand. "I hope I didn't scare you,"

Gaddison and Tottika signaled the archers to stand down. The tension across the domain began its descent.

Dorephan looked upon the knight with little faith, but he offered the benefit of the doubt.

"We are meeting with your council today," He said plainly. "Care to join?"

Link had no choice. He was there on no accord of his own. He nodded in response.

Dorephan nodded back. He looked over at Gaddison.

"Care to show him the way?"

Gaddison paused and glanced over at Mipha. "If you wish,"

"Father, if I may," Mipha said with haste. "There is a lot I wish to ask him."

Dorephan raised an eyebrow. The were was an ounce of apprehension in him.

"You wish to guide him?" He asked

She nodded politely.

He looked her over as he made a decision. There was an odd dynamic between the knight and his daughter. He wondered if it would be unwise to entertain it.

"Very well then," he said. "Go ahead."

Gaddison silently stood to the side and observed the interaction. Mipha began to walk away with the Appointed Knight close behind, and she watched as the two walked along the corridor toward the assembly.

Mipha was typically known to be shy in many ways. She was never one to exert herself verbally - let alone around people she loved. But with the combination of such a pleasant surprise and a bit of influence, she began to demonstrate unrelenting confidence around the Appointed Knight.

In the eclipse of ths moment, she felt no hesitation to engage him further. If anything, this time it was _he _that was behaving strangely, and she was surprisingly drawn to this. He was now tall with broad shoulders, and he had the look of mystery elegantly painted all over his face. He was much quieter and more serious than before - not nearly as full of energy as the last time he visited.

In an attempt to peel back his layers, Mipha began conversing with him as they walked slowly together towards the Assembly hall.

"It's been quite some time since I last saw you," she said gently. "You've gotten much taller."

Link looked at her momentarily and nodded before continuing his gaze forward.

With determination to open up his mind, she continued probing at him. "It's impressive to me how Hylians age." Her eyes stared. "Now you look almost twice my age."

This managed to pry a smile out of Link, but not much of one; By the look in his eyes, she could tell that he simply did not have anything to say. So on she persisted.

"You don't remember Sidon, do you?" She tilted her head to the side. "He was very young the first time you met him,"

Link looked over and made eye contact with Mipha. "I do remember him."

She smiled and nodded her head, while he, on the other hand, continued looking forward. It was strange for her to hear his voice for the first time in this way. She could tell that with his newfound demeanor, he likely never spoke up. It puzzled her as to what could make him change so drastically. When he was a child, he was boisterous and full of energy. Her mind began to wander, and while lost in her thoughts she completely lost track of the conversation.

He sensed her shift in energy and politely re-engaged her. "I'm sure now he's _less _tiny."

Her thoughts went blank. Link stared curiously with concern. Every time she felt his eyes upon her, she couldn't help but freeze in place. Inside, her heart was pounding; she fought to control the pace of her breath. In an attempt to regain her composure, she finally responded.

"Yes, he is." she said aimlessly. "He's less tiny but... he's still pretty small."

He laughed and finally looked over at her. For her, excitement was an understatement.

She did not understand what she was feeling. By the time she prepared her next response, they were already at the entrance to the assembly hall.

She looked over at him once more and let out a gentle sigh. "I apologize," Curiosity beamed from her eyes. "I simply did not expect to see you here today."

He looked back at her and smiled. "Don't apologize." He paused. "I didn't expect to see you either."

It did not take long for him to break eye contact with her. She found it strange that he could have changed so drastically. He used to be rambunctious and full of energy, but now he was tame and put together.

She leaned her head in and continued looking at him. "Is everything alright?" she asked. "You seem much quieter than the last time I saw you. Did something happen?"

He paused for a moment and looked at her once more. After raising an eyebrow, he merely shook his head and shrugged.

Her mind was settled. "If you ever want to talk, just say so."

She looked away from him and took a step backward. This gesture took him by surprise and a look of confusion came across his face. In response, she looked him in the eye and took in a deep breath.

"I believe this is where you want to be," she said. "Please excuse me."

Mipha turned around and made her way down the hallway, overwhelmed with insatiable feelings. She did not want to embarrass herself in front of a friend, so she paced slowly down the rest of the corridor before turning the corner to the main foyer.

As she walked away, the Appointed Knight stood quietly and let out a long sigh. He turned around and pulled open the door to the assembly hall and the door closed tightly behind him. He took in a deep breath as he prepared himself for what was about to be one of the most grueling political experiences of his life.

He knew this wasn't going to be easy.

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🎶 Sensitize - Shinrin Yoku 🎶

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_Please smash that review/comment/follow and enjoy the next chapter!_


	4. A Subdued Memory

**Chapter 3 - A Subdued Memory**

Large pillars divided the architecture of the room. The walls were grandiose and stood tall with high ceilings. A stained glass gave off a calm cyan hue. Most of the tension in the room was alleviated when Dorephan had finally entered the assembly hall. Link stood in the center, unarmed, and clad in royal Hylian blue.

The king grumbled as he sat at his throne.

Dorephan took a deep breath in and stared deep into Link's eyes. He then turned toward the assembly, which consisted of mostly Zora Councilmembers or Hylian beneficiaries.

"It is with great honor that I welcome you to our domain." His eyes wandered back to the knight before him. "We have seen to it that you had been greeted with the honor you deserve."

Link maintained a strong posture in front of Dorephan, but he began to feel the pressure of all of the political powers at work. With a tight stomach, he tried to untense his nerve. His eyes glanced around the room and quickly searched around for Mipha, who was standing at the far-east side of the building in a curtained balcony. Several guards surrounded her but from where he stood, he could just _barely see _her within in his field of view. For a moment, he was slightly taken back by a wash of old memories, but quickly, he regained his focus and looked back at Dorephan - who was staring directly at him with a _powerful_ leer.

"I do take pleasure in the company that we have received from you today, however, I do _demand_ urgency from the Hylian ambassadors."

Link broke a sweat.

"After many years of peace in this kingdom, we wish not become entangled in any more hasty affairs. It has become more than apparent to myself and my council that you are here today in hopes of introducing a political agenda unto us once more," Dorephan tightened his glare with a suddenly furious tone. Silence grew inside the room as Dorephan quickly began control the tone of the assembly.

"I am always happy to continue to return favors to your kingdom, century after century. I would do it again, but please."

He paused.

"You are carrying my entire heart – my entire soul – along with you to the battlefield." His glare grew narrow.

"If anything were to happen to my daughter, there will be no allegiance."

The pressure in the room continued to escalate. Link shifted in place.

Dorephan noticed his lack of competence and became disappointed. The tremendous disrespect that they had committed by showing unannounced. The Hylian kingdom had become notorious for barrage-esque political attitudes, where they used their power to wage negotiations that were one-sided.

Though it was all with good intention, Dorephan would not _dare_ risk his daughter's life in haste for a political dispute.

"I accept Mipha's appointed position for Champion, and I accept her use of the Divine Beast Ruta in the event of the Calamity breaking out once more." he said. "But I do it with every ounce of apprehension in me. I hope that it would be perfectly clear to every one in here as to why that is." Dorephan stood to his feet and everybody in the room shifted in surprise.

"I have nothing more to say, nor hear." The silence became his advantage. "Do not make any mistakes this time, for we will not tolerate it."

Link opened his mouth to speak but the King quickly cut him off.

"Please," Dorephan said. "Be on your way."

He turned away with his eyes leering onto Link. The entire assembly erupted in awe. Standard procedure was blatantly ignored at the hand of survival and none of the councilmembers were allowed a chance to speak. The room began to clamor in disbelief as the Zora Knights tried their best to restore order.

"_Settle down,_" Gaddison said.

While she tried to tried to calm the assembly, Tottika noticed the rising tension in the room and made a lunge for the massive controls to a large set of bells, which were hung high above the ceilings of the assembly hall.

He engaged a wooden lever, vents from the walls inside the room emitted a deep humming tone that canceled out the sound of the clamor.

Tottika began to speak.

"Gentlemen, we understand your frustration with the current state of affairs, but please have sympathy for our King." The assembly grew quiet as Tottika continued.

Gaddison looked at him closely.

"We know what must be done," Tottika said. "Please move with haste."

Gaddison tipped her eyebrow in surprise. She noted that Tottika handled himself well.

The congregation murmured as fleets of Zora Guards guided them outside. With her arms crossed, Gaddison made eye contact with Tottika and nodded her head in approval. He nervously shook his head in response.

Light from outside entered the room as the massive doors to the assembly became open and it's people were transferred outside.

* * *

Long after the Hylian beneficiaries packed into their caravans and left, Gaddison opened the door to a much smaller carriage with a sleek and compact design. Mipha followed quickly behind Tottika as the sunlight grew dim. Before boarding her court, she glanced at Gaddison, who stood confidently before her.

"Please return safely," Gaddison said.

Mipha smiled at her and took her hand as she helped her up inside the carriage.

"Thank you both," Mipha said. "Tell my father not to worry, please."

Gaddison laughed and shook her head as he closed the door to the carriage. She banged on the hull of the caravan to signal the courier, and immediately, they were off. As they drifted off into the horizon toward Hyrule, Gaddison stood next to Tottika with her spear in-hand.

She turned and looked him up and down. "I am starting to see much fortitude from you. You are growing to be quite the able-bodied defender."

Tottika agreed humbly in silence. He glanced his eyes at Gaddison, who was now staring deep into the horizon.

She began to speak once more.

"Quite frankly, I too have my doubts. I refuse to risk one more of our lives at the cost of their impatience." She turned to look directly at Tottika once more. "Floods would be the least of their worries."

Tottika nodded his head at her as the kingdom's frustration quickly became contagious.

For the Zoran Domain, there were zero negotiations – keep Mipha safe - no excuses.

* * *

After a long voyage, Mipha's carriage finally arrived to Central Hyrule through a lengthy trip across the wetland region. It halted as the gates to the Hyrule Castle were opened.

She began to feel dizzy by how quickly everything was moving. Ever since Zelda visited to inquire about her role as champion, she'd been constantly moving from place to place; her feet were pulsing and bruised from moving around so often. What came next was an induction ceremony, in which King Rhoam of Hyrule would declare all of the champions, including the Appointed Knight, to provide aid for Zelda and all of Hyrule in the event of a Calamity outbreak.

The sound of metal gates churning open was heard outside as the carriage began moving. It continued down a circular path, which was surrounded by merchant tents and shops. From a window in the front of the carriage, Mipha could see ten massive cathedral spires rising from behind the horizon, scraping against the blue of the sky. She took in a deep breath and closed her eyes as the carriage gently rocked towards the main portion of the castle.

They had been traveling all through the night to arrive by dawn at Hyrule, and the sun was just poking its head above the horizon, casting a beautiful ray of light across the buildings and streets. The warmth of the sunlight touched her face and left a beacon of hope on her after the long and uncertain journey there.

Her eyes were heavy and she began to doze off. Her daydreams soon became full-fledged fantasies of what her life could become after all of this commotion; and how through all of the madness, the only thing that seemed to numb the pain was the tranquility she felt when she was around those that she loved. She felt her fingers tingle as she imagined having a familiar Hylian hand intertwined with hers. The sensation of his pulse beating from between her fingertips. Her heart began to race and her breathing became shallow. Just before she could look up to see his face, the caravan grinded to a halt and shook her back awake.

The feeling of his hands in hers faded, and slowly, she came back to reality.

A quick look around showed that the caravan had been parked in front of the western side of the keep, which was attached to the main vestibule of the castle. The door to the carriage opened and she quickly shook herself back awake as the coachman driving the caravan offered his hand to help her step down. To her surprise, waiting in front the carriage was Princess Zelda, along with a Royal Guard soldier and a few other officials.

Mipha shifted her stance as she approached Zelda - she was surprised that she would be the one to greet her, and not a General from the Guard. The two halted in front of each other once they were within reach. Zelda smiled warmly to her and bowed her head.

"It is good to see you again," said Zelda. "I wanted to greet you personally today to emphasize my gratitude to you once more."

Mipha bowed in return. "Thank you,"

Zelda bowed politely. "I've just been notified the other champions have arrived. My guards will escort you to the main foyer where you will then be called forth to present yourselves to King Rhoam,"

The doors to the Vestibule opened and Mipha shivered as a cold chill from inside the walls poured out in front of her.

Zelda bowed once more as she turned to face the open doors. "I will see you again shortly."

* * *

_🎶 Arros - Refresh One's Memory 🎶_

* * *

_I'm probably going to be posting every Sunday. _

_Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this short chapter ~(^-^~)_


	5. The Champions' Ballad

**Chapter 4 – The Champion's Ballad**

A fanfare rang from behind the castle walls as the doors to the central assembly were flown open. Banners from all 5 nations unraveled from the rafters and displayed their traditional emblems before the throne.

A young female squire approached the center of the assembly and began to speak.

"With great honor, and before the great kingdom of Hyrule," she lifted her hand. "We present to you, _the elected Champions of Hyrule._"

The cold walls from within emptied out into the room. Each champion walked from their respective vestibules and approached the throne.

Mipha glanced to her right and saw Rito confidence, Revali, walking leisurely toward the center. Goron vigilance, Daruk was on the following isle. To her left was Gerudo Spirit, Urbosa. She felt a rush of adrenaline for she could not believe she was finally walking alongside her fellow champions. It was hard to keep herself from turning to get a better look.

Up ahead, Zelda was planted at the very center of a red-garnished carpet, knelt before the throne.

For what felt like an eternity, the 4 champions finally reached the central vestige in unison.

Several torches along the southern wall were lit ablaze. The squire re-entered the room carrying an armsful of blue garments. She approached Daruk first.

She handed him a blue garment and instructed him to put it on. He did so and eagerly bowed in gratitude.

The squire then approached Urbosa and handed her a blue garment as well. She placed it over her shoulder and bowed her head forward.

The squire approached Mipha, who already had her hands out, prepared to receive the blue garment. As the garment left from the squire's hands, Mipha bowed and stayed down until the squire had left her presence, then she arose to place the blue garment over her shoulder.

Finally, the Squire approached Revali, who looked at the squire for a moment before reluctantly taking the garment. He did not bow, but instead nodded his head at the squire as an honest effort.

The Squire walked to the center of the room and turned towards the champions.

"Now henceforth, the Appointed Knight of Hyrule!"

From a doorway just in front of the 4 champions, he emerged, this time armed with the blade to seal the darkness.

Under these circumstances, Mipha did not shift nor begin to tremor. She looked directly at him.

This, of course, took him by surprise. Link defensively looked back at her. Since he was a child, he bore a clueless face when Mipha looked him dead in the eyes.

She let out a short and quiet laugh to herself and tried her best to force back a smile. Her eyes shot down to try to avoid eye contact.

A blush began to boil across the Appointed Knight's face, but he quickly shook it off as he continued to walk towards the center of the assembly. When he finally reached the four champions, he turned to face the throne, which stood atop a high balcony in front of them.

King Rhoam arose from the throne and walked toward the edge of the balcony.

"Welcome, warriors!" said Rhoam. "I'd like to thank you for joining me here today, and for your bravery in accepting this fateful task."

While the king spoke, Revali looked to his side and noticed that Mipha was looking at the ground, fighting back her emotions.

"I officially appoint you Hyrule's Champions and have bestowed upon you this sacred garb." Rhoam continued. "The light blue is a symbol of the Royal Family, one that has been passed down for countless generations. Those garments you now wear were each carefully crafted by my daughter, Zelda."

All 4 of the champions turned their attention directly to Zelda, who could feel their eyes upon her as her father mentioned her name. This made her noticeably uncomfortable.

"Zelda," Rhoam said. "I trust you with the task that only an heir of the Royal Family can fulfill."

Zelda shifted in place and looked down at the ground.

"Lead our Champions," Rhoam said. "Together, you will protect our kingdom from the threat of Calamity Ganon." Rhoam looked at each of the champions one by one and continued to speak. "The Calamity would never stand a chance," he said. "I am proud to officially deem all of you Champions of Hyrule!"

The assembly erupted into applause as the 4 champions looked around in surprise. Bells began to chime from above the castle walls, and the banners of each kingdom glowed in the light of the southern facing sun. During this time, Mipha turned to see Link directly beside her, who was still facing forward.

She fought once more to hold back a smile.

* * *

Time moved onward, and the newly elected Champions were nowhere near complete. Another ceremony was to take place for the blessing of the Appointed Knight.

Amidst a circle of trees outside hid a small stone plaza. Zelda took foot at the center. The Appointed Knight was knelt before her, and the four champions stood patiently off to the side as Zelda raised her hand to prepare the incantation for Link's blessing.

"Hero of Hyrule," she muttered. "Chosen by the sword that seals the darkness, you have shown unflinching bravery and skill in the face of darkness and have proven yourself worthy of the Blessings by the Goddess Hylia. Whether skyward bound, adrift in time, or steeping in the glowing embers of the twilight, the sacred blade is forever bound to the soul of the Hero."

She continued, and Mipha could sense a growing discomfort nearby. Her eyes were fixed on the Princess, and her unease quickly grew into concern. After taking a glance around, she found that she was not the only one that could feel this. To her left, she saw Revali with his arms crossed, impatiently tapping his foot on the gravel; an increasingly stale look was painted on his face. Right next to him stood Daruk, who was scratching his chin gently - sensing the awkward tension rise amongst the six of them. Urbosa, however, maintained her discipline and continued looking at Zelda patiently.

Zelda's eyes were trained on to the ground. She began to feel an ocean of judgment and prejudice around her. A deep breath filled her lungs once more and she continued her incantation.

"We pray for your protection, and we hope that you and your blade will grow stronger together. In the name of Hyrule, we pray." Her hand lowered down to her side.

Her eyes stared jadedly into the distance. She let out an irritated sigh before looking down at the ground once more. Daruk shivered with discomfort and looked over to see Revali fighting the urge to scream.

Daruk laughed quietly to himself, clearly defeated. "Gee, this is uplifting. She's making it sound like we already lost."

Revali pursed his jaw and turned his head toward Daruk. "Wasn't this your idea?"

Daruk raised an eyebrow as if amused by Revali's _very predictable _frustration.

Revali straightened his posture and tried to tame his tone. "You were the one who agreed to designate the Appointed Knight with all of the ceremonial pomp we could muster. If you ask me, this whole thing seems to be a bit overkill."

As he continued to examine Zelda, he noticed that even with her eyes closed, she still gave off a _severe_ sense of discomfort, which was clearly becoming contagious.

Revali huffed and shook his head once more. "I think I'm on the same page as the princess regarding this _boy._"

Sensing that his voice was a bit too loud, he quickly retracted himself and before he could continue, Urbosa chimed in.

"Give it a rest," she said furiously. "That boy is a living reminder of her own failures. At least that's how the Princess sees him."

Daruk and Revali agreed silently, and Mipha, not having said a word, was quietly paying attention to everything the champions were saying. She too felt that the tone of the ceremony was getting a bit over-saturated; and at the same time, she also began to feel that Zelda's attitude was a bit uncalled for – maybe even immature.

Before they could continue, a disturbing sound emerged in the distance. Without warning, a light rumble came from beneath their feet. A sharp voice came up from the horizon. The champions turned to see a tiny, but furious female figure lunging toward them.

"Oi!" she screamed.

Clouds of dust were burrowed from beneath her feet. Her tiny legs dug into the soil towards the plaza.

Unsure how to react, the champions shuddered and braced for impact.

Frantically, she reached the plaza with a powerful thud. She began gasping for air.

"How rude!" she huffed. "You _completely_ ran the ceremony without me!"

This tiny person was none other than Purah - a relative of Impa's and an heir to a powerful lineage that stretched far into history. Despite her small appearance, Purah was well over her "age" and bared a strong resemblance to the protectors of the Ancient Royal Family; colloquially known as the Shiekah, who had red eyes and blinding white hair.

Urgently, the group disbanded and rushed over to her aid.

Sensing their concern, Purah placed a finger in the air and began to wag it in their faces.

"Nope!" she said doubled over. "I may be small, but I'm not old!" She let out a pained sigh. "Just give me a second to catch my breath."

Zelda kneeled down towards Purah and placed her hand on her shoulder. "Purah, are you ok?"

She looked up at Zelda with a witty smile. "Oh don't be so _elated_ to see me, Princess."

Purah reached into her shoulder bag and pulled out a _strange device_.

"I only came so that I could show you _this."_

The device was slim and compact. From the same shoulder bag, she revealed a small block of metal and threw it on the ground.

"I'm about to _blow your mind_." she said.

She tapped on the screen and a powerful red glow began to emit from the device. With the push of a button, a beam launched towards the metal block, and suspended it in mid-air, encapsulated by a red glow. The champions froze in amazement as Purah began to move the object back and forth between their eyes.

"Pretty cool huh? I call it, _The Shiekah Slate._"

Zelda, Mipha, Revali, and Urbosa all gathered around Purah as she continued to demonstrate the device. A flick of the screen disengaged the beam that suspended the object and she handed it to Zelda, who began to toy around with the controls.

Meanwhile, Daruk and Link stood off to the side, slightly wide-eyed and lost.

Daruk huffed quietly and stretched out his arms. He had assumed the ceremony was probably over, and that it was safe to relax.

"I'll tell ya," he said to Link. "These formal shindigs really take it outta me."

Link laughed.

His joy was interrupted by Revali. "Uh hey, don't you two care to wage in on this?"

He shook his head and turned to look at Zelda. She was still holding the Slate in her hands.

"What else does this thing do?" Revali asked.

She handed it to him and he held it close to his face, examining it briefly before handing it off to Mipha.

Zelda placed her hands on her hips. "Apparently, there are more uses for it that we originally thought. Unfortunately, we've yet to decipher all of its secrets."

The slate was now in Mipha's hands, and she became quickly intrigued by its robust design. She stared curiously at the bright screen which emitted images that she could not fully comprehend. But to her, they were so colorful and intricate that she couldn't help but stare. Urbosa smiled and leaned in toward Mipha, overjoyed to see such curiosity emerge from her.

"Purah and the Princess showed me the designs recently. Apparently, it can create true-to-life images," said Urbosa.

Puzzled, Mipha looked up at Urbosa, beckoning for more information. "How so? Do you think that it could capture a moment like this and render it here on this screen?"

Urbosa shrugged. "I guess so. Not much of a scientist so I wouldn't quote me on it."

Mipha stared dreamily into the device and began to think quietly to herself. She snuck a glance over at Link, who was still off to the side next to Daruk.

"Um, Princess Zelda," Mipha said. "May I ask a special favor of you?"

As if taken back by her sudden interest, Zelda looked at her, slightly puzzled

She narrowed her brow and her stance became rigid. "Possibly. What could it be?"

In an attempt to conceal her intentions, Mipha looked down at the ground quickly before re-engaging her eye contact with Zelda. "This moment is so beautiful. If what Urbosa just said is true, then _could we possibly try to take an image of the six of us?_"

Pausing for a moment, Zelda placed her hands on her hips and looked down at Purah, who stood clueless with a rogue smile. She had been completely disengaged from the conversation long ago.

Zelda tapped her fingers against her arm. "Well, it's not really up to me. Purah would be the one to ask. After all, this is _her _device."

As if to suddenly recover consciousness, Purah began to laugh loudly to herself.

"Ha! - You want _me_ to take a picture of _you_?" she huffed. "Sweetheart, I've been planning on forcing my gadgets on everybody since _forever_ ago!"  
Without warning, she jumped up in the air and swiped the Shiekah Slate from Mipha's hands.

_"Give me that thing!" _she commanded.

At that very moment, Purah snuck a wink at her, to which Mipha responded well. Purah was no fool; she understood perfectly well why Mipha had asked to take a photograph of everybody. If not to be closer to the _dreamy Appointed Knight_, then what else could it be? In situations like this, Purah had always been known to be a bit of a troublemaker.

So barely containing her excitement, she began tapping on the screen. "Ok, places people!"

Completely unprepared, the six champions messily arranged themselves in front of Purah, who worked fiendishly to get the perfect angle.

"Ok, a little to the left... a little bit of exposure. Hm, this spot should work nicely," she said to herself.

After finally getting her footing, she took one more look at the _i__nsanely_ disorganized motley crew before her and she shook her head in protest.

"No no no, this is all wrong!" her fingers wagged in front of her. "Daruk, can you crouch down a bit? You're as tall as Death Mountain!"

He winced and staggered with embarrassment as he knelt down behind the other five champions - just enough to fit in the shot.

"That's good!" she said. "Don't move!"

After that, she looked at Zelda, who was standing at the very center of the group, clearly uncomfortable. She laughed quietly to herself and adjusted the aperture on the Shiekah Slate.

"What's with the glum face, Princess?" she said. "Gimme a big smile!"

Zelda rolled her eyes in response and put on a half-hearted smile. While Purah jousted with her, Mipha took the opportunity to move closer to the group, and more specifically, Link, who stood directly beside her.

As she approached stealthily, he looked over to her and their eyes met. Not expecting to see her there, he gave her a tried, but unrehearsed, smile, and she immediately filled up with butterflies. In defense, she looked at the ground to try and hide her smile.

"Revali, move your tail closer to the group!" Purah said sharply.

Her voice snapped Mipha back to reality. She cleared her throat awkwardly and pretended to ignore the Appointed Knight beside her.

After making some slight adjustments on the Shiekah Slate, Purah glanced over at Mipha, who was nervous and still a bit far from the group. She stared at her until their eyes met. "Mipha!" she said sharply. "Don't look so tense! Deep breaths, ok?" Purah smiled, winking at her once more. Mipha nodded in response and took a moment to readjust her self.

"Ok, relax." She said to herself quietly.

To no avail, her heart continued to run rampant inside of her and she could barely hold herself up. As the rest of the group continued adjusting, Purah suddenly threw her hand up and began waving it furiously. "Oh! – Ok! Stay just like that! Don't move!" She focused the aperture on the group and prepared to take the picture. However, as she zoomed in closer, she noticed a faint hint of what looked like an awfully _mischievous_ smile coming from Daruk. Hardly minding his intent, and too busy worried about her _angles,_ she continued to adjust her settings.

"Ok, We're ready!" she said. "3 - 2 - 1 - GO"

Before pulling the trigger, Daruk threw his arms wide and pulled the whole group inward with a heavy swoop. At the perfect moment, Purah took the photo and paused briefly after letting go of the aperture. Daruk exploded with laughter as the other champions recovered from the collision. The Slate began to load, and the image rendered. Her face was littered with amusement.

"Oh?! –" she said.

The Slate finally finished processing and displayed a priceless shot of the champions being flung toward each other. Purah frantically spammed the "save" button, as if afraid to see it vanish.

"HAHAHA!" she cackled. "This is PERFECT! I'm SAVING THIS!"

With a few quick strokes of the screen, Purah closed the aperture and began to upload the image to her lab in Hateno Village. In front of her, the champions continued to laugh awkwardly from the recent gag, but Zelda, however, was becoming less and less amused.

Purah rolled her eyes. "Cheer up, Princess! You guys look so wonderful together!".

Zelda looked off to the side, growing slightly irritated. Purah ignored Zelda's attitude and began to power down the Shiekah Slate. She was perfectly satisfied with herself.

Zelda looked at her strangely. She was expecting the Slate to be given to her for her studies. Instead of doing so, Purah continued to chatter amongst the other champions.

"It was so nice to meet all of you," she said bowing toward the group. "I'm sure all of you have a very busy day ahead of you, so I'll get outta your hair!"

The champions smiled joyfully at Purah and began to say their goodbyes. In that short amount of time, the whole group became more joyous and uplifted than before. Everybody except for Zelda, that is. Becoming more and more frustrated, she suddenly tore herself away from the group and began to pace toward the outer perimeter of the plaza. "I'll be on my way as well, then."

The whole group looked over at her and Purah began to shake her head as Zelda walked away. "Right. She might need _this._" She reached into her satchel once more to pull out the Shiekah Slate and she began walking after Zelda. However, before continuing onward, she paused and faced the champions again to say her last goodbye. "I hope to see you all again soon."

The 5 of them waved goodbye as she turned around and followed after Zelda to give her the Shiekah Slate. Once she was far enough away, the Champions looked at each other, slightly confused at Zelda's sudden outburst. They had all felt the tension building up long before it happened. After some time, however, their offense turned into genuine concern for her, rather than just the outburst itself.

"I wonder what that was all about," said Revali.

Urbosa placed her hand over her face and sighed. "Get used to it. She can get like this sometimes. All the added pressure probably doesn't help either."

Though she was now very far away, they continued to watch Purah as she chased after Zelda. Having finally caught up to her, she grabbed her by the wrist sternly and pulled her inward. "Excuse me? You should be more aware of your actions. These Champions are laying down their lives for you, and you're behaving like a _child_. "

Looking dead into her eyes, she firmly slammed the Shiekah Slate into Zelda's chest and tightened her glare. "If I were you, I'd try to act with a little more grace when they're around. This is not how we raised you to behave. Impa and I did not sacrifice eons of life for you to behave so ungratefully!"

Zelda became embarrassed and quickly shifted her tone. "Purah… I'm sorry; I don't know what's coming over me. I – I feel..." She paused and began to choke up. Purah too shifted her tone in response to Zelda's defenselessness.

She lifted a finger to her lips and gave a sharp hush. "Shh. Save it." She stared at Zelda as her eyes began to tear up. "Look, sorry for snapping, but I love you so much, Zelda. I hate to see you make mistakes that may very well become _unrepairable_ in the future."

Having finally come down from auntie-mode, she sighed and pulled her in for a tight hug. While in her arms, Zelda fought hard to keep the tears from falling, but she could not contain them, as the weight of all the pressure she'd been carrying had finally broken her. Gripping onto the back of her shirt, she returned Purah's embrace.

"Thank you," she said.

Purah laughed. "You should probably get back to your Champions."

Slowly pulling away from Zelda, she gripped onto her shoulders and gave her a confident smile. "Go ahead!" Purah said.

Zelda candidly wiped a tear and put on a more genuine smile than earlier. "You're right"

Laughing lightly, Purah wiped away Zelda's tears. "Let's not get all emotional yet!" She gave Zelda a firm pat on the shoulder, bowed her head, and said goodbye. "See ya later, Kid."

She reached into her pocket and pulled out a small black orb. She tossed it onto the ground and it created a heavy smokescreen. With it, she vanished into thin air.

Taking a moment to compose herself, Zelda turned back towards the Champions and noticed that they were all still talking amongst each other. She approached them reluctantly and began to dread the re-entry into the conversation. Onward she continued toward the plaza until she reached the stone pillars along the edges, and after taking a deep breath in, she finally approached the group.

The champions all turned to look at Zelda, and before the others could say anything, Urbosa began to speak. "What just happened? We were really worried when you walked away from us."

Zelda shook her head in response. "Its nothing. I have a lot on my mind, and if anything, I felt that I should thank you guys once more for everything you're doing. My frustration is not towards you, it is towards myself."

Urbosa could tell that Zelda was trying to be genuine and that she was simply trying to move forward from what had just happened. In order to keep things from getting even _more_ awkward, Urbosa simply nodded in response.

"Makes sense," she said. "We're here for you, Princess. We only want what's best for you. Please don't worry us like that."

Before she could continue, a sound was heard from behind them, and with impeccable timing, a General from the Royal Guard arrived atop a white horse. He dismounted and bowed politely toward the group. "Good evening. I apologize to interrupt. I have been sent to inform you that courtesy caravans have arrived for your departure." He glanced over at Zelda and Link. "I have also come to commence our order of operations._ Zelda and Link, _you are to report to the castle immediately for further tasks."

As he said this, Mipha looked over at Link and noticed that he was already preparing his things to leave. He seemed indifferent, but she, on the other hand, would have kindly surrendered anything to be around him for just a bit longer - even if just for a few seconds. She stared at him helplessly and wished that she could jump in front of him to keep him from going away.

Up until this point, she felt that she had shown much resilience around the Appointed Knight, but due to the formal nature of such ceremonies, it was wise for her to _not_ attract any unwanted attention from the Champions; or much less anybody inside the Royal Family. Despite this, not being able to say much to him was surely testing her patience, and with her pulse racing, she waited for an opportunity to strike.

As the general got back on his horse, the other champions started saying their goodbyes. Daruk and Urbosa extended arms and smiled warmly to each other and Zelda began to walk towards Hyrule Castle, with the Slate in her hands. Link hastened, and almost began to walk behind her, but in a split-second decision, Mipha took a few steps forward and lunged her hand out to tap him on the shoulder. After doing this, he stopped in place and turned around. As if pleasantly surprised to see her behind him, he beamed with contentedness and smiled gently at her. Once again, she became frozen in place and realized that she was less than an inch away from everything she had ever wanted in life. In spite of the moment, she spawned a sudden spark of confidence and leaned in closer to him.

"And where are _you_ going?" she said playfully. "You can't just leave without saying goodbye."

The tone of her voice was enticing. He began to feel warm and his hands grew clammy. Clearly elated, Mipha stood her ground in front of him; it was safe to say that she felt pretty proud of her advancement. Link looked around awkwardly and began to scratch the back of his head. When she saw he did this, she bit her lip with excitement.

Looking deep into his eyes, she swayed back and forth trying to hide her joy.

"It's a shame that we haven't gotten much time to catch up," she said. "Maybe when you're not so busy, we could have a chance to do so. "

She held her arm close to her side and tried hard not to choke. Link broke a sweat and stood powerless against her advances. Her playfulness was appealing. He began to feel a confusing level of attraction toward her. Every time she looked him right in the eyes, he became noticeably mushy, and though she didn't exactly understand why, she knew that she was having some sort of effect on him. For the first time, she felt that Link was slowly starting to open up again, and fearing that their time was running short, she brewed with frustration.

An ocean of uncertainty flooded out between them. They stood for a few moments quietly falling into each other's eyes, and at that moment, Urbosa had taken notice of their charade and cleared her throat loudly.

"AHEM. I hate to interrupt, but," she glared. "We should probably _get going_."

Unaware, and slightly embarrassed, the two quickly stepped away from each other and tried to hide their faces. Though Mipha wanted to respond, she was off in another dimension slowly drowning in place; she stood there in silence, staring at him.

Urbosa threw herself in between the two of them and placed a hand on Link's shoulder. "Ok, alright. Let's get going."

She tugged him tightly by the shirt and began to walk away, leaving Mipha behind at the plaza. In a last-ditch effort, Link looked back at Mipha once more and tried to wave goodbye. She saw this and fluttered her fingers playfully at him. Her face was stiff from smiling so much. At that moment, the carriages arrived in front of them and blocked her view of Link. Before she could get the chance to look at him again, the coachman unboarded the caravan and began to speak.

"Greetings!" he said. "We've decided to come to you instead, _as a courtesy._"

Mipha leered at the coachman and huffed in disbelief.

Daruk looked at Mipha and shrugged. "I guess that's our cue!"

Mipha laughed and nodded in agreement, for she was still struggling to create words. "I guess so."

The coachman boarded his seat, and eventually, they finally said their goodbyes.

"It was great to meet you," said Mipha.

Daruk smiled and gave her a thumbs up. "Likewise!"

They wave goodbye and boarded onto their chariots. After the doors closed, they left promptly in opposite directions. Mipha let out a long sigh and lied down in her seat. She held her hands tightly to her chest. The carriage was spinning with elation. If there was anything she could want more of at that moment, it was to have more time alone with the Appointed Knight. If she could ever find an opportunity to bring him closer, she knew that she would probably have to take it. Her concern for ceremonial etiquette was quickly waning. As they left Hyrule, she began to doze off, and with her hand over her heart, she fell asleep thinking about how beautiful it would be to have him by her side - just one more time.

* * *

_🎶 Mayawaska - Nidra 🎶_

* * *

_I'm such a noob at writing, I'll go through a night of it and find a million mistakes the next day. ʕノ•ᴥ•ʔノ ︵ ┻━┻_

_Feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments. Enjoy!_


	6. Loosened Fear

**Chapter 5 - Loosened Fear**

By the time she had arrived, the sun had completely been covered by the edge of the horizon. A soft blue sash was wrapped inside her arms. The wheels of Mipha's carriage groaned as they continued moving forward into the Domain. She laid inside, completely asleep, and worn out from the day that she had just had. The carriage continued, and after a short roll inward, they finally reached the main plaza. Tottika stood up ahead awaiting her arrival. Lights coming from the Palace spires gently pierced the windows of the carriage as she began to open her eyes.

A soft click was heard from the door handle as Tottika poked his head in.

"Princess Mipha." he whispered. "Are you awake in here?"

Mipha quickly sat upright and rubbed her eyes frantically.

She fought to keep her eyes open. "No, to be honest."

He opened the door gently. "I'm glad you made it back ok. Are you able to walk?"

She nodded. "Yes, Tottika. Thank you."

She reached for the support bar near the door and pulled herself out of the carriage. When she set foot on the palace, a quick look around showed that none of the usual evening guards were in their positions; the stores weren't open and the Inn was completely empty. She could sense that something was not right.

A bit disturbed, she turned to Tottika and with a demanding tone she inquired. "Where is everyone?"

He lowered his head politely. "My lady, Muzu and the other Elders have called for a mandatory meeting with King Dorephan after receiving a harsh notice from the Royal Guard this morning. They are currently with him and the rest of the Council inside the Assembly Hall."

Sickened and unamused by more drama, she dropped her shoulders in defeat. "What could have possibly gone wrong?"

He shrugged and turned his gaze toward the assembly hall.

"Not sure," he lowered his tone. A long sigh escaped his lungs. "To be sincere, if I may: it would be wise for you to maybe _pop in_ _there _and see what they're talking about."

She looked up at him with a narrowed gaze. She was already on the same page. She nodded and began walking towards the upper vestige to the assembly hall. "Thank you, Tottika."

He bowed in response, turned around, and walked towards the main gates to seal the entrance. As Mipha paced toward the Assembly Hall, she felt a bit of anger begin to swell inside of her. Her focus was honed in on making it to that meeting, so she shook off her exhaustion and continued up the stairs to the Assembly hall.

She could feel time working against her. She approached the doors to the entrance of the room where she could already hear the voices of some of the council members inside. By peering through an open hole near the door frame she could see Muzu at the center of the Assembly in front of her father.

It was important that she made as little noise as possible. She reached down for the door handle and slowly pulled it open. A tiny gap in between allowed her to enter the Assembly Hall without being noticed. She lunged herself behind a pillar and peered around the corner.

At that time, Muzu had just approached the stand. He cleared his throat before speaking.

"Gentlemen of the Council" he said hoarsely. "In response to our latest good faith offer, the Royal Guard has abruptly announced that if we move forward with our investigations, it would ask King Rhoam to invoke what it refers to as 'a protective assertion of executive privilege on all matters regarding the Royal Family.' "

Muzu's harsh voice echoed across the hall. Mipha leered at the stand as he continued speaking.

"What this means is that King Rhoam would reserve the right to _many powers_ in the event of a war or an epidemic, and more importantly, during a time like this, when we are already at a _severe _political disadvantage." He took a few steps closer to the assembly. "Besides misapplying the doctrine of executive privilege, we have found that King Daphnes, from the time of the Great Sea, had waived these privileges long before the flood, therefore further exploiting the doctrine that they had set in place."

She continued to listen from behind the pillar.

"This decision represents a clear escalation in the Royal Family's blanket defiance of the Zora Kingdom's mandated duties," Muzu said. "And as an equal branch of power over the land, we must have access to this information. We must fulfill constitutional responsibilities in a manner consistent with past precedent. We are constitutionally obligated to review their documentation."

Mipha paused her breath short to try and understand what he could be talking about. In the past, many issues were caused due to strange military practices on behalf of the Royal Family, but this was all well before the time of the Great Sea.

Muzu walked slowly back toward Dorephan. "I would remind the members of this committee that our past experiences with the Hylian Kingdom have been a series of unordinary transgressions; in which they detail significant misconduct involving the Royal Family," a hint of fury arose in his voice. "I_ncluding its willingness and eagerness to accept help from potentially hostile foreign powers_," the congregation shifted around. "This was followed by numerous misstatements - if not outright lies – concerning these acts Countless instances of obstructive behavior by the Royal Family have led our beneficiaries to insist that they warrant penal indictment." He stared deeply into the room. "As it stands, our attempts at negotiation with the Royal Guard have left us back where we began."

Dorephan tapped his chin gently and began to shift around in his seat. "What do you suggest could be some possible solutions?"

Muzu turned around and hastened his response. "Any information that we request from the Royal Family is entirely within our legal rights to receive. It is no different from what has been provided to us on numerous occasions, dating back to nearly a century."

Dorephan squinted as Muzu continued speaking. "Correct,"

Muzu nodded. "If they will not communicate with us, we will have to take matters into our own hands. One possible solution that has been debated would be to form a militia with the sole intent of protecting the domain in the event of an outbreak. This militia would be anonymous - and completely impartial to the Zora Royal Guard - it would function as a task force to help gather information about the Royal Family's current military strategy."

Dorephan was not convinced.

He shook his head in severance. "I'm not sure why their military concerns you, Muzu. Their practices have always been hasty, and though they can be aggressive on the political side, they have always fought hard to _protect us." _Dorephan's massive complexion shook the room when he spoke.

"It has come at a lofty price," he said. "But I doubt they would ever turn their blades on us. The formation of a militia on our part could put us at severe risk for being even _further_ sanctioned by the Royal Family. It would be best to _not_ aggravate the powers that be."

Muzu adjusted his stance. He was determined, and he continued to explain.

"An active militia could provide us with the intel we otherwise are being rejected to receive. They would have to conceal their identities, but this would not be hard to do."

Dorephan once more showed his doubt. "I don't think this is a good idea, Muzu."

Having been glued to the stone pillar this whole time, Mipha sensed a potentially dangerous interaction between Muzu and her father. She was on board with her father's thoughts about a "militia" agitating the Royal Family more than it would need to be; however, the fact that Hyrule rejecting oversight was definitely a cause for alarm. If what the Zora feared was not having information, then maybe the solution would require a more _naive_ approach.

Suddenly, the light bulb went off.

She knew it would be a bold move to speak out during the middle of a meeting, but her heir to the throne gave her every power in the world to do so. She took in a deep breath before rotating out from behind the pillar, and without saying a word, she walked toward the stand with her eyes trained on Muzu. As she passed by the audience, they began to clamor at her sudden appearance. Muzu and Dorephan, however, had still not seen her walking toward the stand.

Taking advantage of the element of surprise, she straightened her back and raised her voice from behind the aisle. "_I don't think it's a good idea either._"

The entire congregation turned to look at Mipha and began to banter in disbelief.

Dorephan glared. "Mipha?"

He stared, astonished, as Mipha continued to walk toward the stand.

She spoke modestly. "I have heard everything you said. I am in no place to disrespect your honor, nor your experience, but I do think I should have a say."

Muzu's face became grim. "Mipha, you cannot interrupt this congregation. You will be asked to leave immediately -"

"_Then remove me._" she said.

To this, he winced in shock. Before allowing him to interject, she planted her feet firmly and looked up at her father.

"I do not have the audacity speak boldly," She said. "But in the simplest of terms, I cannot - and will not - stand for our kingdom to act out of _fear _at a time when _bravery_ is called for."

Dorephan raised an eyebrow but continued to listen. Mipha had already taken control of the assembly.

"The Royal Family has always had the intention to protect us. It would be more effective for us to put faith in their administration - even _if_ they are operating covertly." She turned to look at Muzu. "The Royal Family has never betrayed us, and I am sure they never will. If it is information which you seek, there must be ways that we can acquire it without instigating a conflict."

Muzu crossed his arms; it would be unwise to stop her now.

Dorephan leaned back in his throne. He was surprisingly impressed by his daughter's behavior. She spoke firmly but did not raise her voice, nor did she speak with an aggressive tone. She was a bit headstrong to speak out in the middle of a congregation, but Dorephan had always favored a bold move over a brash one. In addition, he felt that Muzu was exhibiting an unnecessarily high degree of fear for things that they had no control over. Instead of laying down his own personal fears, Muzu immediately turned to defensive strategies that would probably make the Zora look a bit unruly.

Intrigued by her statements, he continued listening to his daughter speak.

She used the silence to her advantage. "I believe that there can be a way to gather the information we need without agitating the Royal Family." She said. "Surely it will come at no leisure, but it is better than acting out of _fear."_

Muzu nodded his head, understanding that Mipha had raised leverage over him. He tried to calm his nerve and set his emotions aside.

"You have my attention." he said. "But I will ask you this - if we are not to place priority on protecting ourselves, then what other options do we have?"

Mipha thought carefully because she knew that her next words would be crucial. An image of the Appointed Knight crossed her mind and for a moment in time, she helplessly detached herself from reality and felt the bliss of his presence. At that moment, she began to speak_._

"There could be a chance to chip away at the information we need simply by assuming innocence; our approach must be _naive, _and it must not raise alarm. A team of covert ops would certainly catch their attention."

Muzu tapped his finger impatiently. "And how do you suggest we do that?"

With seconds to spare, she quickly thought of another answer. She started feeling butterflies in her gut and images of Link's smile continued to plague her mind.

"Just an example:" she said calmly. "If we invite some of their best warriors, this would allow us to analyze their tactics, while kindly assuming a somewhat _oblivious _attitude toward their agenda. We can state that we want to prepare the next generation in the event of an outbreak; which is technically _not_ a lie."

Muzu was still not very convinced, but Dorephan, however, nodded his head in approval. He was genuinely impressed by Mipha's level of insight over the matter.

"Fair," Dorephan said. "But if we were to invite soldiers from the Royal Guard, _who would it be?"_

Feeling the seconds pass her by, she brashly made a decision. This may not have gone so well had she not taken the time to calm down beforehand. The more she negotiated with Muzu and her father, the more it agitated her nerve.

"We could ask a high ranking General for Recommendations," she said. "_But I would personally suggest the Appointed Knight._"

The tension in the room immediately escalated. She knew that if she could somehow convince Muzu and her father to accept, she could effectively solve two problems at once: the Zora Domain's political disadvantage, and her desire for the one who wielded the sword;

Two birds with one stone; loosened, and fearless. There was no turning back at this point, nor did she care for petty politics.

Muzu tightened up in response and looked at her sternly. "This seems problematic."

Dorephan turned and looked at Muzu sagaciously. "How so?"

Muzu tilted his head toward him. "...because he's _the Appointed _Knight,"

"And?" Dorephan replied.

Muzu dropped his shoulders, immediately frustrated. "_A__nd_ he is probably very preoccupied with tasks from the Royal Family."

Dorephan nodded politely, though he was still unconvinced. "To me, it seems a bit _less _problematic than trying to form a militia behind the Royal Family's back. I saw the boy recently, and I believe he knows Mipha quite well."

A lump in her throat formed when he said this.

Dorephan placed his hands over the arms of his throne. "He has shown to be quite the skilled warrior. Being of high rank in the Royal Guard, I'm sure he can provide information to us if we simply ask."

Doing well to tame his frustration, Muzu pursed his lips. "I don't know, Dorephan."

"Well you should, Muzu," Dorephan replied.

Muzu threw his hands to the side. "I have never seen this person. Have they ever been to the palace? How does Mipha know him?"

To God and heaven, she broke a sweat at the thought of her father unknowingly _spilling too much_ about Mipha's passable interactions with Link. There was a good chance that Muzu could sniff out her intentions.

Dorephan leaned his head back in his seat and began to recount his memories of the Appointed Knight. "He was very young the first time he came. At the request of Hyrule's King, a group of outsiders came to greet us at the domain, and he was there alongside adult swordsmen." He placed his hand over his chin and pursed his jaw. "Since we age differently, Mipha had always offered to look after him; and he was constantly getting injured. She would be the one to heal his wounds."

Mipha stiffened up.

"They spent a decent amount of time together and got to know each other well," Dorephan said. "He also came to visit recently before the Champion's inauguration, where he was able to catch up with Mipha briefly before attending our ... _short _meeting," He looked up at the ceiling, recounting more memories. "We wouldn't have to pry it out of him. He has all the information we need."

Muzu leered at Mipha, and in response, she sank in distress.

"This seems awfully problematic," Muzu said with a tight glare.

Dorephan laughed and leaned forward toward Muzu. "I think it might be a good fit."

Muzu turned furiously toward him. "_Have you lost your mind Dorephan_? If that boy creates problems for Mipha and Vah Ruta, we'll be _completely_ _empty-handed._"

At this point, Mipha was sweating while her father continued to leverage over Muzu.

He leaned to the side and continued to debate. "How could he? They're very good friends. He trusts her more than anybody here, so Mipha could easily ask the questions we seek answers for."

"I implore you, Dorephan," Muzu said. "Please realize what you are saying. I can assure you that this will cause repercussions that will be irreversible."

Dorephan shook his head and retained a smirk.

"Nonsense," he said. "I am not simply taking my daughter's side here, Muzu. She's raising very good points. I think altogether, I would prefer her solution over yours."

Muzu's face flushed and became pale.

Before he could speak, Dorephan called over a squire and beckoned him to the stand. "Squire! If you may." He reached for a small pile of papers behind his throne. "We will be requesting the Royal Guard to suggest one of their best soldiers. Of which, will be detailed as the Appointed Knight. We can declare a preference for him."

The squire received the small stack of papers from Dorephan and immediately began writing. "Please prepare respective notices detailing our needs. If you can, translate the notes you've been taking for us to the addendum. Write a separate letter for the Appointed Knight himself notifying him of our current state of affairs. He would probably appreciate the information."

The squire nodded as he continued scribbling on the paper.

Muzu shook his head at Dorephan with a disappointed glare. "I don't think you realize what you're doing, Dorephan."

Dorephan ignored Muzu and sent the squire on his way. The squire continued preparing the rest of the letter as he walked away; and there stood Mipha, in front of her father _and_ Muzu; unsure if what had just happened was a good thing or a bad thing.

She locked eyes with her father and blasted her fear at him.

He smiled at her and nodded gently. "Believe it or not, I'm proud of what I've seen today. Maybe try to be more available for our conferences next time. You gave us quite scare,"

Mipha gleamed. She could not believe how forgiving her father was being at that moment.

He turned toward the audience and straightened his posture. "Gentlemen, I'm afraid this concludes our meeting - I do not think there is anything more to be said here. Senior members, please notify our guards to be on the lookout for a priority telegram from the Royal Family within the coming days. I thank you all for your time."

Dorephan stood up from his seat, and with that, the entire congregation arose and made their way towards the exit. Mipha stood motionless, unsure of what to do next. Stepping down from the stand, Muzu walked off to the side, seething red with anger. He shook his head and without saying anything, he began following the squire outside the assembly hall.

He passed by Mipha without looking at her, and her nervousness quickly turned to distress. Above an ocean of people, Mipha tried to sift through the crowd and follow after Muzu, along with the squire. She caught sight of him leaving the assembly and quickly began walking behind him. After opening the doors, a tirade of individuals flooded the doors and she looked around frantically through the sea of bodies to try and find him again. Her breathing became urgent. She gazed over to the central plaza and realized that the squire was probably heading to the mailroom at the moment, so she lunged through the crowd and headed toward the plaza.

There was not much time to think; she turned the corner to the plaza and began to look around once more - the squire and Muzu were still nowhere in sight. Her eyes began darting around the plaza, and she started to feel panic set in. There were far too many people in the area for her to sort through and she was not thinking clearly.

Just then, she caught sight of Muzu walking from the mailroom, and he carried a letter signed to Link in his hand. The squire was in front of him with a puzzled look on his face.

Something primal came over her, and with an animalistic burst of adrenaline, she rushed after Muzu. He saw her from afar but pretended not to see her as he continued to walk toward his quarters.

"Muzu _stop!" s_he screamed.

Her cry reached his ears, but he continued walking and finally reached his door. With no time to spare, she sprinted toward him and just as she reached the room, his door was sealed shut and a loud click was heard from inside.

Her fist slammed onto the door repeatedly and tears began to fall from her eyes. She let out a distressed cry and collapsed to her knees in front of his room. Nearby onlookers stared with concern.

Gaddison happened to be amongst the group inside the central plaza and immediately sprinted in her direction, stiff-arming the way through the crowd. She saw Mipha on the ground and rushed to her aid.

"_Mipha!_?" Gaddison said frantically.

Unable to speak, Mipha held her face in her hands and continued to cry. Streams of tears ran down her arms and dropped onto the floor.

Gaddison shook her urgently. "Princess Mipha, please answer me!"

She lifted her head from her hands and looked into Gaddison's eyes with a painful gaze. "Muzu won't listen to me," Mipha said under her breath. "When I called to him, he would not answer me."

Gaddison was confused. She was not inside the assembly hall at the time, so she did not have any context.

Mipha crumbled with pain.

"Gaddison..." she said as tears ran down her face. "Something doesn't feel right..."

Gaddison quickly scanned over her belongings and noticed a blue Hylian sash wrapped inside her hands. She recounted the interaction they had and could only wonder.

Gaddison raised an eyebrow. "The Appointed Knight?" She asked curiously.

Mipha sniffled in pain and nodded.

She trembled inside of Gaddison's arms and began to whisper. "He will not leave my mind. I have never felt this way about somebody before."

Putting the pieces together in her head, Gaddison was able to _finally_ realize that Mipha was madly in love with the Appointed Knight. She had caught a hint of this the last time he came to the domain, but at the time she didn't pay it much thought.

She regained focus for there was no time to continue to sit in front of Muzu's room - onlookers were quickly growing unsettled.

Gaddison picked up Mipha in her arms, and swiftly rushed her over towards the direction of her room. Clinging tightly to her shoulders, Mipha buried her head in pain as her tears continued to fall from her eyes. Gaddison raged with empathy for Mipha. She hated seeing her like this. They reached a flight of stairs and Gaddison leapt up the steps to Mipha's room. With one arm, she reached for the door, entered the room, and laid her on her bed gently. She then kneeled down by her bedside.

"I think we're better off here instead," Gaddison said. "Is there anything I can do for you?"

Mipha wiped away her tears and shook her head. Her eyes began to swell up again and her voice began to tremble. "I'm so sorry for this."

Gaddison shook her head and laid a hand on her shoulder. "Do _not_ apologize. I want to make sure you're ok. You scared me to death, I thought that something had happened to you."

Mipha laid in bed with her knees close to her chest. Gaddison felt the urge to weep for her. It killed her to see the Princess in so much agony.

"You should probably rest," said Gaddison valiantly. "I have to return to the plaza to reseal the main entrances. I will be near. Come and find me if you need anything."

Mipha nodded and buried her head into her pillow. With a light step, Gaddison exited Mipha's room and made her way toward the plaza.

Gaddison was livid. She could not stand to see Mipha cry. As she continued toward the main entrance, she began to pray for her. Her head twisted inside to try and find a solution.

Broken, Mipha lied in bed with tears in her eyes. Muzu's frustration toward her made her feel like an embarrassment. Having been one of his best students in the past, she did not want him to see her in a different light. She began to regret speaking out against the congregation in the first place, and she held her head in defeat. That night, she wept herself to sleep hoping the next day would not be so unforgiving.

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_ 🎶 Tony Anderson - Ember (Sascha Kirschtein mix) 🎶_

* * *

_I had this really weird dream the other night that involved a couple of NPC's from the game, and I just had to make it happen. _

_Please review/follow/fav, I will love you forever._


	7. Two Birds with One Stone

**Chapter 6 – Two Birds with One Stone**

Though the night had grown cold, the sky still gleamed with light from the stars above. Silence pierced the darkness.

_A dark figure clothed in all black garments_ leaped through the palace gates and managed to evade the seal which protected the domain from intruders. Light footsteps led them toward the central plaza, and their breath was muffled beneath their satin cloak.

Though their identity was concealed, their physique was slender and held feminine features. They reached into a pouch on their waist and pulled out a kunai blade.

The blade hissed through the air and flung the final gate open.

Calmly, they looked around to make sure that there were no bystanders. The moon had still cast a gentle white light overhead, and water deposits around the palace reflected luminescence onto the ground. As the area became clear, the dark figure looked up at the sky and noticed that the moon was positioned directly above.

The sun would be rising soon.

Glaring eyes darted around for possible escape routes in the event of being caught. Though the domain was desolate, they did not want to risk being apprehended; it was typical for the plaza to have sentinels on duty overnight. Lockpicks forged from a crude alloy were hung against their chest, and the soft contact of their grooves echoed off the stone that surrounded.

Above, there was a pillar near the plaza that provided a fair vantage point, and they leaped onto it quietly. It stood tall over the domain and offered the perfect spot for a bird's-eye view of the location. Patiently, they scanned over the area and waited for potential bystanders.

Being late at night, there was a good chance that nobody would be around except for maybe a handful of guards. Those guards, however, were known to be deadly.

Searching with precision, they confirmed nobody was nearby. Complacency was not an option. This was a dangerous situation to be in. They knew the area was well-guarded, but time was steadily working against them.

After letting out a frustrated sigh, they dropped from the pillar and landed onto the central plaza. A set of binoculars rested on their chest plate, covered tightly with velcro. With it, they began to scan the palace spires for watchmen.

It was dark, and even with the help of the moonlight, they could not tell if there was anyone there or not. Sensing that time was wearing thin, they collapsed their binoculars back into their vest and continued walking.

As the figure approached the stairs leading up to the second level, the sound of footsteps was heard directly from behind, and with agility, the figure jumped to the side to hide behind a stone pillar. With the lockpicks now in-hand, the figure peered from behind the pillar and looked around for the source of the footsteps.

Several meters away, Tottika could be seen walking down the stairs from the upper level. He was headed toward the second flight of stairs - which was where the assailant stood hiding.

"_Damn it,_" they muttered.

At that moment, Tottika looked over and locked eyes with the figure poking out from behind the pillar.

Plagued with urgency, he began walking toward them with his blade in his hand. "_Who's there?"_

The intruder jerked behind cover and began panting profusely. Knowing that there was no other option, they suddenly launched out from behind the pillar and grazed past Tottika.

Tottika made eye contact with the assailant and jumped back with his blade positioned for combat.

"Halt!" He blared. "Intruder!"

He sprinted after them and continued calling for attention.

The assailant was quite agile, and they turned a corner to knock over a statue in an attempt to slow Tottika down.

He compensated and was able to jump over at it the last second.

Gripping tightly to his blade, he gritted his teeth and began to catch up. In a last-ditch effort, he threw his knife and it managed to graze the leg of the dark-cloaked assailant.

They stumbled in front of him, lost their footing, but maintained balance enough to continue sprinting toward the room at the end of the corridor.

This was Muzu's room.

When they reached the door, Tottika slammed into the figure and tumbled around with them down the corridor. The figure grunted and wrestled around to break free. With a few quick gestures, the dark figure was positioned on to the ground, beneath Tottika's grasp.

_"I got you!"_ he said. _"Do not move!"_

The assailant jerked back and forth, trying to break free, but their stress had broken loose and they could not escape. Tottika placed his knees over the figure's shoulders and reached for their mask.

He pulled it off with a violent twist. A cold chill fell over him as he dropped the mask out of his hands and onto the floor.

"W_hat the fuck?_" he shuddered. "_Gaddison?_"

In a violent motion, she locked eyes with him and shook him off.

He stumbled backward and onto the ground. His eyes were painted with shock.

"Let me in." Gaddison said quietly. She stood up to her feet and pointed to Muzu's door with an anchored look in her eye.

Confused, Tottika stood up and looked back at Gaddison. "_What is this?"_

"_Let me in here," _she said once more pointing at Muzu's door.

Tottika glared. "This is _Muzu's Room _Gaddison, I can't just let you in."

She lunged her arm towards the door. "_Let. Me. In. Now."_

Completely lost for words, he dropped his blade on to the ground and reached for his keys. The door clicked open as he glared at Gaddison.

Gaddison looked at Tottika before entering in and shook her head. "I'll have to explain this later."

_"What on earth is going on?"_ Tottika whispered forcefully.

Gaddison shook her head. "Later, I'll explain later."

Tottika dropped his shoulders in defeat and allowed Gaddison inside the room. After quickly shutting the door behind him, she began to look around for the letter that Muzu intercepted. Off to her right, she could hear him, snoring loudly, and she huffed to herself.

Carefully, she tiptoed toward his desk and began feeling around for the letter. It was pitch black inside, and her hands were the only way for her to see. Afraid to be making too much noise, she turned back to look at Muzu, who was still sound asleep.

She let out a sigh of frustration. "_Where the hell is this thing?"_

Time was running out, and there was no way to risk making any more noise inside. As her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she looked to her left and saw what looked like the edge of an envelope hanging out of the side of a drawer. Carefully, she reached down and pulled it open. Using leverage as her guide, she grabbed the envelope and held it close to her face. Using the moonlight from the window, she turned it over and saw the name "Link" written across it.

_"Got it," _She sighed in relief.

The silence inside his room was deafening. She slowly backed out of the room and closed the door in front of her.

The frames and hinges creaked gently as Tottika stood outside waiting with his arms crossed. "Can you explain to me what's going on?"

"It's a very long story," Gaddison replied. "Please just come with me."

Tottika began walking alongside her, and they made their way toward the main entrance as a trace of twilight crept over the horizon. Gaddison looked at Tottika with urgency and put her mask back on.

"I will be going to Hyrule to deliver this letter. Please wait for my arrival tomorrow morning," she said.

Completely perplexed, Tottika simply nodded his head and opened the gates. Without wasting any time, Gaddison put her hood over her head and vanished into the air. Standing still in disbelief, Tottika closed the gates to the domain and sealed the entrance. As the sun poked its head above the horizon, the air became warmer and the night faded. Though taken back by Gaddison's actions, he started to get the feeling that this may have had something to do with Mipha's recent interaction with Muzu.

He continued his patrol along the main vestige, making sure to keep his lips sealed about what he just saw. Explaining this to his subordinates the following day would not be easy.

* * *

_ 🎶 Andy Leech - April🎶_

* * *

_I hope you guys really read through that last one. _

_These next few chapters are gonna be super crucial! __Had to do it to 'em. This one was super short anyway. _


	8. Haste

**Chapter 7 - Haste**

Positioned directly overhead, the daylight now began to stir the life inside the castle walls. Villagers started to walk about in leisure, and a courier wearing a blue delivery uniform walked contentedly in the sunlight greeting people as they passed.

At this hour, he had a large bag over his shoulder, with which he carried all of the mail for the Royal Family inside. In his hand, however, he had a separate envelope. _H__e could feel a strange aura _coming from the envelope in his hand. It caught his attention, but he paid it no mind, and continued past the courtyard beneath the observation room. This was the final passage before reaching the castle drawbridge, and with a sigh of relief, the courier reached for a bell on the side of the walkway and pulled it down.

Within seconds, the drawbridge groaned open and sawdust fell from the edges as massive iron chains slowly lowered the bridge over the moat. The bridge locked in place in front of the courier, and he began to walk across it. He looked down at the envelope in his hand and began to examine it. Unaware of his surroundings, he took one step too many and ran directly into Hoz, a General of the Royal Guard, who stood at the entrance waiting for the arrival of the courier.

He was tall and somewhat aged. His skin was tan and he wore very expensive-looking clothing.

"Oh," the courier said. "Sorry sir, I did not see you there."

The General glared at the courier and did not reply. He looked down at his hand and noticed the envelope.

With an aggressive leer, he reached out his palm and beckoned to the courier. "Give me the envelope, please."

The courier gave him a puzzled look and presented him the letter. "Yes sir, no problem. Here you go!"

The envelope reached Hoz's hands, and immediately, he could sense _a strange aura_ coming from the folds. He examined it closely before placing it inside his coat pocket. The courier tipped his hat to the general and continued walking toward the castle. Hoz reached for a lever on the side of the drawbridge and activated it, and right away, the drawbridge began to pull over from the moat. It continued to close, and he took a turn behind the northern wall of the observation room.

Hidden beneath the mossy ground was a trapdoor. It was made from wood that had been aged with years of rainfall. This hidden passage was a shortcut which led directly to the dining hall, and at this hour, it was typical for King Rhoam to be having breakfast with Zelda and her constituents. Though it was an unwise gesture, he felt that it deserved to be brought directly to the King's attention.

Tall arching pillars divided the hallway from the dining hall, and toward the southern side of the corridor, he saw King Rhoam, Princess Zelda, and the Appointed Knight sitting at the edge of a long table lined with plates of food and drinks. They appeared to be in the middle of a lengthy conversation. Hoz removed his hat as he approached the King and made his way toward the southern corridor. He could faintly begin to hear the conversation between Rhoam and Zelda, and in an effort to save face, he listened closely to the conversation before entering it.

"It may be a good idea for Link to accompany you while you conduct research on the shrines. You would be unwise to travel so far by yourself." Rhoam said. "The kingdom depends on your ability to unlock the shrines' hidden powers, and you certainly cannot do that if you cannot provide leadership for your squadron."

Zelda quietly continued to scrape the food off of her plate and passively listened to her father's words. Link, however, was listening intently to what King Rhoam was saying and nodded along politely. Hoz quietly made his way toward the edge of the table, where Rhoam sat, and pressed his hat against his chest.

Rhoam sensed his presence and gave him an unpleasant glare. "Can it wait, Hoz? I'm in the middle of something."

Hoz maintained eye contact with King Rhoam and extended the envelope towards him.

Rhoam looked at him, offended.

"_What is this?_" He asked. "Am I supposed to know what this is? _Why are you pushing this envelope in my face?_"

Hoz looked directly into Rhoam's eyes and began to speak. "This envelope was found in front of the Mail Room today before day-break. We acquire mail every morning after twilight has passed, but _this_ envelope has somehow passed through the sealed gates of the city as the sun was rising. It landed directly in front of the mailroom without alerting any of the guards or sentries. I have felt a strange aura emanating from it ever since I met the courier who carried it. To this moment it continues to resonate."

Rhoam held his fork and knife in his hand, impatiently unable to finish his meal. "Why were you in the mailroom?"

Hoz glared and extended the envelope closer to Rhoam. "I was helping the courier sort out some documents - he is very busy." Rhoam sat silently staring at Hoz. Hoz maintained his composure. "This envelope is signed directly to the Appointed Knight, and it has the traditional watermark of the Zora's Royal guard. I sense this is a clear transgression of power and may be a threat to us and our military. It deserves your attention _right away."_

Rhoam stared at Hoz in disbelief and shook his head. He let his silverware fall onto the plate with a loud clank. Zelda and Link both jumped at the gesture and watched carefully as Rhoam took the envelope into his hands.

The moment his fingers touched the letter, he winced and felt _a strange aura_ resonate along his hands. He titled his head in disbelief, and without batting an eye, he quickly tore it open.

"This is no threat, Hoz," Rhoam said quietly. "_This is a distress_ _signal_."

As he tore open the envelope, _the aura faded_ and Zelda raised her head from her plate.

Link also felt the aura fade. His brow was furrowed with concern as he stopped moving his fork around on the plate. When the aura faded from the letter, he immediately thought of Mipha, and a cold chill ran down his spine.

Rhoam threw the torn envelope to the side and his eyes darted back and forth along the page. Link and Zelda sat frozen in place, waiting for some sort of explanation. Rhoam's face became slowly more concerned as he made his way toward the bottom.

He paused briefly and looked at Hoz for a moment before continuing.

"This letter was signed by Dorephan," he said. "By what I can see, it was sealed by _ancient _magic known _only_ by the Zora who have lived long before the time of the Great Sea. I recognized it as soon as my hands touched it." His eyes glanced over at Link. "Whoever sealed this envelope is akin to incantations that have been washed away through centuries of time. Only a few know how to properly use it, and from what I know, Dorephan is one of them, _but there may be others."_

Hoz stiffened his posture in response and Rhoam looked down at the page once more. _"_As it reads, it requests aid from the Appointed Knight to train young Zora soldiers in the aid of our preparation for the Calamity outbreak. This will help make training for them more efficient." He placed his hands onto the table and looked at Hoz with intent. "Hoz, _thank heaven_ you found this: this is absolutely urgent; the Zora are our most trusted allies, and if they sealed this envelope with the incantation that I am sensing, then we will have to tend to it right away."

Zelda stared at the two with a growingly frustrated leer but she bit her tongue in fear of creating more friction. She gripped tightly to her fork and let out a long sigh.

Rhoam felt her irritation and looked her in the eye.

He placed the letter to the side and laid his arms on the table. "_Zelda._" he said quietly. "I am going to ask that you _please_ understand the magnitude of the situation that we are in. Not only must you complete the tasks that have been assigned to you, but _now_, you _also_ have a precedent to make sure that all of your champions have _exactly_ what they need to properly aid you in your journey." He held the letter up. "This counts as an example. By that, our schedule just got _a whole lot busier_ than it was before we awoke."

Zelda dropped her fork and knife over her plate loudly and flared her hands in disbelief. "What are you talking about?"

Rhoam raised an eyebrow. "Our debt to the Zora Domain is _heavy_," He paused and leered at Link. "I also heard that our recent visit with the domain did not go too smoothly. Dorephan was not pleased with the untimely arrival of the Appointed Knight, and it made us look incredibly foolish."

Link looked down at his plate to avoid eye contact with Rhoam as he continued to speak.

"Since we have no choice but to provide them with support, it would be wise for us to prepare for the other nations to request aid from our military," said Rhoam. "This includes the _Rito, Gorons, and Gerudo._ It would only make sense for us to be proactive."

Zelda looked down at her plate and rolled her eyes.

Rhoam leaned into the table. "_Do you understand what I'm saying to you?_"

She sat still with an offended look on her face and looked down at her plate.

"_So what do I do then?_" she asked. "Should I continue conducting my research? Or should I worry about _this_ instead?"

Rhoam stared at her. He looked over at Link. "Maybe he can aid you in your research."

Zelda turned to Link and gave him a pained look. Her utensils fell off of her plate loudly as she stood up.

"I don't need his help," she said. Her chair made a loud creak as she pushed it out from behind her. "I _don't _need his help, and I don't think he needs mine. If he has to leave for liaison let him do it _alone_."

Silverware rattled loudly across the table as Zelda began to walk away. She left her plate of food half-finished, and precariously picked at, as a sign to her dissatisfaction amongst other things.

Hoz stared in embarrassment and leaned in close to Rhoam.

"Ahem_ -_ pardon me, my lord," he said quietly. "If there is no threat here, then I will be on my way_._"

A swell of frustration emanated from Rhoam as he nodded and dismissed Hoz with a dry look on his face. Hoz walked away from the table and Rhoam sat with his hand over his face for a moment before taking a deep breath in. He exhaled and looked up at Link, who was carefully listening to everything that was being said. His plate of food was completely untouched but his fork was still in his hand.

Rhoam huffed and crossed his arms over the table. "I'm assuming you're not hungry. Unfortunately, you will not have time to finish. Pay close attention because here are your orders:"

Link nodded as Rhoam leaned back in his seat.

"You will have to prepare your belongings to attend the aid of the Zora Royal Guard as soon as possible. Please be sure that Zelda is perfectly ready to continue research if you do decide to leave." His eyes narrowed. "We should take this as a warning, and prepare to venture to Hebra, and Gerudo if they reach out to us as well."

Link stiffened up.

Rhoam continued. "Again, _please_ be sure to check in with Zelda and make sure she doesn't have any remaining tasks for you," His brow became tense. "Is that clear?"

Link sat motionless in his chair and tried to take in all of the information that Rhoam had just presented. He felt that this was all being sloppily put together and placed his fork on the plate beneath his hands. Before he could open his mouth to speak Rhoam interrupted him by loudly standing up from his chair.

"Good," Rhoam said. "I'll be expecting to hear back from you soon." He looked at Link up and down. "You have been dismissed."

Link maintained himself motionless in his seat with a defeated look on his face as King Rhoam walked past him across the table. He looked down at his plate full of food and sighed quietly to himself. His patience was being challenged by such headstrong behavior, and it was growing more apparent that this sort of behavior _ran rampant in the family. _Zelda's frustration made it very difficult for Rhoam to execute tasks as needed, and conversely, Rhoam's rush to try and get things done has made Zelda feel very misinformed, which in turn was perpetuating her frustration.

He knew, however, that out of everybody in the team, _he himself_ would have to be the most steadfast at all times. As a high ranking soldier, he was trained well against his emotions and was always focused on tasks at hand without fail.

He stood up from his seat quietly and lifted his plate of food off of the table. His footsteps echoed gently through the hall as he made his way down a flight of stairs on the southern side. Like everything the Hylians made, the dining hall was grandiose and rose high into the ceiling. Tightly packed walls lined the narrow corridor, and it led in a spiral fashion down toward the ground level. He walked down the stairwell and stared longingly at the plate of food in his hand.

It was known as poor practice for a soldier to be wasteful in any way, and he was never wasteful with anything; not with time, not with energy, and _certainly_ not with food. The plate he carried in his hand was layered with hearty greens and a half roasted foul. A plentiful meal that would be completely shameful to waste in its capacity. Its tantalizing aroma wafted through the stairwell as he made his way down the last few steps.

These particular structures did not have doors separating the frames leading outside so his boots stepped directly from the stone onto the grassy soil. There was a small hut directly across from the stairwell covered in old news postings and he knocked gently on the door.

Shortly after, a man dressed in a blue uniform came to a small window on the side. This was the mail courier from earlier, and the small hut near the dining hall was his home. It was small enough to fit a set of chairs and a bed. He looked at Link pleasantly and smiled.

"Master Link!" he said. "What a pleasure to see you!" His eyes locked-on to the plate of food in his hands. "_Is that for me?"_

Link nodded and placed it on the windowsill as the courier took it into his hands. The plate rattled and shook in his grasp as the weight of the food was quite steep. His stomach groaned when the warmth from the plate heated up his hands.

As a courier, his work days were long and very poorly paid, so he spent a lot of his earnings on maintaining his small abode and enough food to _not_ starve. On his level of the chain, however, the typical cuisine was not exactly delectable. A plate of food such as this one was truly a treat. His face glowed with joy as the sharp smell of Hylian parsley entered his nostrils and exuberated his senses. The courier's eyes started watering and he smiled warmly up at Link.

"Thank you so much," he said. "I've hardly had anything to eat today. This is enough to keep me fed all week!"

Link smiled back at the courier and waved as he began to walk away from the stone hut.

Shortly after closing the window, the sound of silverware frantically scraping up against the ceramic clay plate was heard coming from inside. It was a shame to ever see anybody suffer through hunger in this way. Hyrule was known to always maintain a relatively functional economy, but there was still a disappointing amount of poverty hidden deep amongst the people. Many who could not survive the standard of living in Central Hyrule would find themselves taking to nearby districts and villages for refuge. Hateno village, for example, was one of many safe havens for people who could not afford to live near the capital. The courier, interestingly enough, was born and raised in Hateno, but he insisted on living there inside the castle. It was never really understood why.

In situations like this, the appointed knight was expected to behave in a manner that best suited the Royal Family, but at times he felt that it would be a sin to not focus on the good of the _people_ instead. Regardless of this, he made sure to be noble and rigidly obedient to his duty. He never allowed his emotions to show around his superiors, but around people he loved, he often showed a profound degree of affection through the veil of his gaze. This was no crime, nor did he view it as one, but around certain members of the Royal Family, it may have been seen as such.

A small stable was seen in the distance, and he immediately made eye contact with his steed, Epona.

She was eager to see him. Her feet clopped and pattered as he approached her.

He laid his backpack down and ran his hand along her stiff neck. She nickered in response and shook her mane into place. A thud was heard as he prepared his belongings and mounted them on Epona's saddle. The sun still hung gently overhead, meaning he had _just enough time_ to tackle the list of things he had to do. Whether wise or not, he decided to check on Zelda first so that he could then make the long voyage out to the Zora's domain. Every second counted at this point, so he made haste to achieve the most effective route possible.

To the west of Central Hyrule, just north of the Gerudo mountain range, were a series of small summits that divided the Ridgeland and Tabantha regions into two. Something notable about this was the impressively dense canyon that ran directly in between the smaller summits of the valley. This land mass was known as the Tanagar Canyon, and next to it was one of the few passages that led into the Tabantha region. This made it a high-traffic area for merchants, adventurers, and even _mercenaries_.

One of the many tasks of the Royal Family was to research the strange shrines which appeared in recent years across the kingdom. These structures were said to have had an ancient power locked within them, and through vigorous research, Purah was able to use the Shiekah Slate to discover that these structures can be entered into and used as portals to _unknown places_. It was believed that somebody with the power of the Triforce could enter the shrines and examine them from the interior.

Since the Shiekah Slate was now in Zelda's hands, it was up to her to continue research on these structures, and her haste led her there, to the Tabantha region. After leaving the Dining Hall, she took her horse to the two shrines on opposite sides of the valley, and she found most interest in the shrine across the canyon on the south-eastern side of the Tabantha bridge. It was said that this shrine, in particular, radiated profoundly with energy from within, and Purah hypothesized that it may have to do with its immediate location.

The structure was raised between a series of ancient pillars on the southernmost peak facing the valley. According to this, Purah believed that these columns may have been used as resting places for ancient Rito, or _even_ Zora, during the era of Twilight.

Being impatient in nature, Zelda decided to follow Purah's advice and made her way to the top of the Rayne Highlands. After she got off her horse, she paced around the structure curiously, looking for clues to its unveiling.

When she came to study it, she felt a potent aura coming from a stone pillar near the entrance of the shrine. She pulled the slate from her satchel and held it next to the stone pillar. Expecting some sort of a response, she waited for a moment and sighed as the pillar stood action-less in front of her.

She pursed her lips and tapped the slate repeatedly against the stone pillar. "Nothing, just as I thought."

The sunlight was still hanging overhead, and she began sweating under the smoldering heat.

She wiped the moisture from her brow and let out a determined sigh. "Maybe this structure has been designed to be accessed exclusively by the sword's chosen one, but designs can always be worked around. There _has_ to be a way inside."

While she continued to tool around with the shrine aimlessly, the Appointed Knight arrived at the base of the Rayne Highlands with Epona. He caught sight of Zelda and made a straight line up the hill to her. She was still doubled over above the stone pillar examining it closely. Epona's feet clopped as she stepped over the gravel terrain beneath the ancient pillars.

The sound startled Zelda, and with a very unpleasant look on her face, she turned around and locked eyes with Link, who was already dismounting from Epona to approach her.

Her body language immediately radiated a pungent discomfort. She rolled her eyes as she approached him and let out a grunt.

"I thought I made it _perfectly clear_ that I am not in need of an escort," she said.

It was like running into a brick wall; Link halted dead in his tracks in front of Zelda and looked at her firmly. She rolled her eyes once more and slammed her palm against her face.

"It seems I'm _the only one_ around here with a mind of their own. _I_ \- the person in question - _am fine_, regardless of the King's orders."

It didn't take long for her to realize that Link's demeanor immediately became unresponsive to her frustration. She scoffed in his face and walked away from him.

"I'm blown away by all of this. Return to the castle please - I should not have to repeat myself to you. You can tell my father I said that."

Dust filled the ground as her boots dug into the soil and kicked it into the air. It was safe to say that the Royal Family's impatience was dealt at a heavy cost. The Appointed Knight was expected to perform tasks and follow orders, and by touching base with Zelda, he was only attempting to keep the chain of command fluid between himself, Rhoam, and the Princess; but such constantly hostile environments made it virtually impossible to do so.

He stared at her intently as she passed him by without acknowledging his presence. The length of his brow flared as she walked by with no respect for courtesy. Like a true soldier, he swallowed his pride and quickly tamed his emotions.

At that moment, his only concern was acquiring clearance from Zelda to make his voyage out to the Zora's Domain. With his goal's re-organized, he began following after her to try and establish some sort of communication between them. As he got closer to her, she could feel his presence from behind and she jerked around with a furious leer.

"What is your problem!? _Stop following me!" _she said.

Before he could say a word, she mounted onto her horse, and immediately began to ride away from him.

Feeling frustration swell up in his throat once more, he stared in astonishment as she grew further and further down the path. After a moment of mixed emotions, he let out a gentle sigh and turned to look at Epona.

She looked back at him with a pure gaze; completely benign to the situation at hand. He smiled and felt the stress of the moment subside; Zelda's attitude was not severe enough to be upset about. He approached Epona and patted her mane gently.

After re-fastening his equipment onto her saddle, he pulled out his compass at gave the glass a few taps to reorient the needle. It jolted back into place, and he turned slowly until the compass faced due-east. Looking far into the horizon he could barely make out the trunk of Vah Ruta, as it was covered by a deep overcast. Rayne Highlands was quite literally on the opposite side of the Kingdom compared to the Zora's Domain. It would be a long voyage, to say the least, but he knew that if he made haste he could probably arrive before sunset. He put his compass away in his waistbelt and mounted onto Epona. A quick whip of the reins sent her forward, and they began their long journey towards the east.

* * *

_ 🎶 Luke Pearson - Requiem in the Mountains 🎶 _

* * *

_Wow I'm back. This stuff takes so much time to properly digest  
_

_Went a bit wild here. It probably felt like a detour, but hopefully it'll make sense later._

_ so buckle-in, grab a beer, and enjoy the show! _


	9. On This Side of the Sun

**Chapter 8 - On this side of the Sun**

Another restless night disrupted her peace. Mipha awoke at the third hour of the morning to the sound of the waterfall rushing gently in the distance. It was pitch black inside her room and she could vaguely recount the events from the night before. On a vase near her nightstand, there was a small notecard with a bright red heart on it, and even in the darkness, she could make out Gaddison's signature on the lower right-hand corner. It was likely that she snuck into her room at some point during the night and left it there.

Suddenly the lack of light in her room did not feel so hostile. The moon was slowly setting, and a nest of birds nearby began to chatter alone in the darkness. Their voices echoed off the walls of the domain and created a gentle serenade inside the silence.

After seeing Gaddison's note on her nightstand, she recalled the night before. She felt embarrassed at her outburst, and though she was exhausted, she was still too restless to fall back asleep. A whirlwind of thoughts brewed in her mind from the moment she first opened her eyes. Her room was stuffy and parched from the lack of humidity inside. A past remedy of her's has always been to take a walk around the domain to reset her mind then eventually fall back asleep.

She pulled a web of bedsheets off of her and she placed her bare feet on the cold floor. On her dresser was an elegant, white nightgown, and she took it then placed it over her shoulders as she walked towards her door. She opened it, and a strong waft of wind entered inside. Fighting to keep the door from swinging open she held her robe on with one hand and the door handle with the other. After the wind became still, she pulled the door shut behind her with a gentle click.

The Zora had autonomous circadian rhythms so they were not as physiologically susceptible to the lack of sunlight that humans were. They could easily wake up in the middle of the night feeling just as energized as they would in the morning, and because of this, it would be likely that there would be someone nearby for her to talk to. The pressure from the powers that be were making her act out of character, and she did not want to disappoint her father or the rest of the domain.

With her mind running astray, she became completely unaware of her surroundings. She turned the corner to the reflection pools, and her path was halted by a much taller figure.

With a loud thud, she ran directly into Tottika and fell backward. He grunted and lost grip of his spear while Mipha, on the other hand, was sent back by the recoil of the impact and landed on her side.

It took him a moment to realize who he had just run into, but when he did, he scrambled over to her and placed his hands on her shoulders. "_Princess Mipha, are you ok?!_"

Mipha laughed gently and shook her head. "Shh, It's ok, Tottika, I am fine. I was not paying attention."

She stood up and dusted off her garments. Her knee was badly scraped from the fall, but she stood as if nothing had happened.

Tottika stared at her wound with concern. "Are you hurt? Maybe you should sit down."

Before he could finish his sentence, he noticed that her wound immediately began closing.

She leaned forward and rubbed her knee gently. "It's just a scrape,"

This came as a surprise to him because he knew that she was keen to healing magic, but not to this degree. Her skill was so fine-tuned, that she could apply it to herself without even having to think about it. Her body was almost automated to perform healing, to the point where she could ignore incoming pain as if it were not even there. By the time she finished dusting off her scuffs, the wound on her knee had stopped bleeding, and a small trace of scar tissue was left behind. Tottika huffed in amazement - not just at her profound healing abilities - but at her humility during situations that most would find frustrating.

She was very magnanimous, especially around her fellow Zora.

Tottika looked into her eyes with concern. "Is everything okay? It is not like you to be up at this hour."

She looked up at him and sighed. "I will be fine," She looked down. "I am restless from all my recent activity with the Royal Family. I felt that a walk around the domain would help clear my mind."

At this point, the wound on her knee was completely healed, and the scuffs around the rest of her body were gone. Even though she was behaving valiantly, he could tell that she was hiding something deeper.

In an attempt to avoid any trouble, he refrained from inquiring further about her concerns, as it may have only worsened her unease.

His gaze was fixated on her body language for guidance. "You are more than welcome to stay by the reflection pools, but I feel that it would be best if you try to go back to sleep as soon as you can."

Silence followed as her mind was already drifting off into other places. Her restlessness was starting to win, and after her short encounter with him, she found herself fighting to keep her eyes open.

She shook her head in severance. "Tottika - I do not wish to become restrained by all of this commotion that we have been dragged into." A short pause filled the air. "I feel that my emotions are causing me to make decisions that are not very well thought out." She looked up at him with a blank expression. "It ruins me to think that my inequities could bring down our entire dominion."

Tottika furrowed his brow, and before she could say any more, he reached into a pouch on his waistband and pulled out a thin dried herb. It had a powerful aroma and Mipha beamed at the sight of it.

Tottika extended the herb outward. "I usually keep this on me in case I get a headache. It is usually used for cold resistance, but sometimes I use it to calm myself down."

She held her arm close to her side.

Tottika glanced over her with concern. Her tone voice was not exactly indicative, but he could tell that she was very unsettled. The immense pressure that she felt was clearly testing her mental and emotional strength. He knew, however, that the ultimate remedy for her at that moment was rest.

He walked over to a room near the center of the reflection ponds and grabbed a mortar pestle from the cupboard. With it, he ground up the Safflina herb until it became a fine powder. A potent aroma filled his nostrils as the dried herb cracked beneath the stone. There was a jug of water on the table, and a torch was lit ablaze above it. He grabbed the jug and held it over the flame for several seconds until it began to steam.

As carefully as he could, he placed it down on the countertop.

A stack of small cups were below the cupboard, and he grabbed one then poured the ground Safflina herb into it. The hot liquid inside the cup began to fuse with the minerals from the herb, and a potent aroma began to fill the air.

"Here you go," he said. "This should put you right to sleep in no time."

With both hands, he extended the warm brew to Mipha, who received it gladly. She smiled and took the warm cup into her hands.

His gesture moved something inside of her, and she fought to shed a tear. "Tottika this is so kind of you." She looked down at the cup. "I do not know what I would do without everybody's support."

Tottika laughed and waved his hand back and forth. "Please do not worry Princess, this is truly my pleasure. You will need to be well-rested if you wish to continue tackling these demanding tasks." He began to put the items back inside the cupboard and wiped off the excess Safflina from the countertop. "Please drink as much as you can. You may not need much."

Mipha smiled and took a sip from the warm brew. The strong scent of the herb burned her sinuses and immediately she felt the effects.

Her shoulders dropped and her body became relaxed. "This is wonderful Tottika. Thank you."

He shook his head and placed his hands on his hips. "Not a problem. Please hurry and get some rest."

She turned around and wrapped her robe tightly over her shoulders. She held the cup in her hands and began walking back toward her room. Tottika sighed quietly to himself as he continued putting things away into the cupboard. While he was gathering the various items from the table, the stillness of the night was becoming overbearing, and for some reason, he felt that he was being watched.

He turned around and heard the rustling of leaves in the distance. A branch snapped behind him and he stopped dead in his tracks. His head was tilted over his shoulder to identify the source of the sound, and it pointed him in the direction of the main entrance.

He followed the sound and prepared to withdraw his weapon. There was a moment of uncertainty as the silence of the night was beginning to play tricks on his mind.

_A strange gust of wind_ passed from behind him and he huffed in disbelief.

"Wow," he scoffed. His blade dropped down to his side. "Took you long enough."

Just then, a_ dark figure clothed in all black garments_ grazed swiftly over the spires of the domain and landed just behind Tottika. They removed their mask and walked up closely behind.

"You should not be so naive," they said. "_I could have been anybody_."

He turned around to see Gaddison standing close behind with a precarious smile on her face. She removed her cloak and a wave of relief fell over both of them as they approached each other.

She unzipped her garments and panted quietly.

"Where's your weapon, _soldier?" _she asked.

He scoffed and shook his head. "Not with me," His gaze slowly became concerned as he watched Gaddison adjust her clothing. " How did it go? Were you able to do what you needed to do?"

She sat on the ground and removed her boots with a violent twist. "More or less. I didn't think it would work." She looked up at him as she continued removing her garments. "I used an old incantation my family taught me. How is Mipha?"

He huffed and shook his head in response. "She was just awake. I made her a Safflina brew and she returned to her room." He stared at her as she continued to unfasten her stealth garments. "How did you travel so quickly? You made it back here much faster than I expected. You're lucky nobody else saw you do what you did."

She raised an eyebrow and looked at him with a challenging glare. "Oh am I? Hmph - at the mercy of such a fearless warrior. _Please have mercy._"

He scoffed and a moment of silence emerged as they looked at each other momentarily. The open space was accompanied by a witty leer from Tottika.

"What?" she asked. "_Why are you looking at me like that?_"

He walked closer to her, knelt down to her side, and began to pick up her garments from the floor.

"Look, I'm glad you're okay," he said. "I was worried that you would run into trouble out there."

She laughed quietly to herself and removed the last piece of her stealth cloak, and with a firm thud, she slammed the remaining garments onto his chest and gave him a prude smile. "_Whatever you say._"

Underneath her garments, she wore a thin bodysuit, and it gripped tightly onto her. Without meaning to, he began to stare at her again, and he quickly looked away in an attempt to save face.

"Uhm. Y-you should probably get going," he said. "I'd rather not have to explain to anybody what you're doing here."

She laughed quietly to herself and slowly stood up. "I think we're in the clear,"

She dusted off her clothes and smiled as she inched closer to him. "I was pretty worried at first I won't lie. But I have to say, _this __was so exhilarating."_

Tottika stood his ground and raised an eyebrow. They stared at each other momentarily once more. "You should probably get some rest. You're acting a bit strange."

She smacked her lips and jabbed his elbow, to which he chuckled in response. A cold wind blew and it turned her head towards Mipha's room.

As if to suddenly sober up from her adrenaline high, her brow became narrow and she stared in her direction.

"So is she okay or not?" said Gaddison.

Tottika stuffed Gaddison's stealth garments into his bag and threw it over his shoulder. "No. She's very unsettled."

He began to walk toward a stairwell below the reflection pools and Gaddison followed closely beside him.

"How so?" she asked.

He took in a deep breath as he stiffened his posture. "She's restless. I ran into her while I was on duty and it looked like she didn't get a whole lot of sleep. She started to explain how she felt - about the pressure of her new role making her feel overwhelmed - and I could tell she was very troubled, so before I let her speak any further, I started making her that Safflina brew I mentioned to you." He paused and looked at Gaddison directly. "I guess this is just as much your mess as it is mine. After all, I am the one who told her to _pop into_ the meeting with the Elders. But I digress - Why did you take that letter from Muzu's room? What was the purpose of this?" He looked her up and down as she evaded his questions. "You do realize that he's going to find out the letter was intercepted right?"

She paused and looked away. Instead of dodging his questions, she figured it would be best to be transparent with him. There was no avoiding the topic anymore at this point.

"I don't care what Muzu thinks. I sent the letter because our princess is madly in love, Tottika; and the potency of such an emotion is making her behave erratically," she said.

He raised an eyebrow, and Gaddison turned to look at him once more. "When I heard her cry out, it reminded me so much of my father - when he lost my mother," she whispered. "I'm not going to go into detail, but the war conflict during the twilight era took her soul." She paused and continued to look into his eyes. "I know it may sound strange, but ever since then, I've always felt strongly for those who cling blindly to the hinges of love. Even during times of uncertainty."

She looked down at the ground with her eyes and paused briefly before continuing. "I'm not sure how to explain this but, even in the darkest of hours, _I believe that love will always win." _

She turned and looked up towards Mipha's room once more. "_No matter what, it will always win._"

* * *

_ 4lienetic - Collapse (Ambient Rework) _

* * *

_(づ｡‿‿｡)づ idk I don't have much to say. sub-romantic sub-tropes are my thing. _

_hope you enjoyed this short chapter, and as always, smash that review/fav/follow._


	10. The Veil

**Chapter 9 - The Veil  
**

A burning lump began to form inside of Link's throat the closer he got to Lanayru. The long and difficult voyage there had given him plenty of time to think about his past. He was expected to follow orders at all times, and he could only wonder - what would life have been like otherwise? As a child, he would visit the domain, and would follow Mipha around with a wooden blade - "I am your protector!" he would say.

The solitude of such a long voyage made him ponder deeply on old memories. He was only a child at the time, but he could still clearly recall the vibrant scenery that led to the domain. It struck a nerve inside him the closer he got. Such a strange urge to protect Mipha, even at such a young age. She was always so delicate and fragile from afar but so vibrant up close.

When he saw her the past few times, he couldn't shake the cascade of emotions that came from her. The way she looked at him - it penetrated the veil he carried and it made him feel vulnerable. The fragility of life itself lived inside of her eyes. At that time, he was not sure how to feel, but his lonely journey to the domain began to pull open old wounds. The thought of having spent so many years without being by her side made him feel resentful. She always seemed to carry so much pain, but she never showed it.

King Rhoam had mentioned that the sealed envelope was emanating an ancient aura that translated a distress signal. The task at hand seemed clear enough, but he could not help but feel that there was something deeper going on. His thoughts were getting the best of him and the same child-like urge to protect Mipha was creeping over his shoulder. It was all fun and games as a kid, but now they were much older and there was infinitely more at stake.

He passed over Luto's crossing; there was a short voyage left until he met the gates of the domain, and like a stone, he swallowed his pride and regained his composure. A cloud created an overcast above the peak of Mount Polymus as he continued across a narrow bridge. There would only be so much daylight left for him to work with.

* * *

_🎶 Warmth - Isolation (SineRider Remix) 🎶_

* * *

_I dunno about you guys, but I'm a HUGE fan of interlude chapters._

_Consider yourself interluded _


	11. Reunite

**Chapter 10 - To Reunite**

Humid winds passed across the domain. A half-lidded Tottika stood next to a much taller Zora that shared the same pigmentation as he. This was Bazz, one of the junior chief guards alongside Gaddison. He was the equivalent of about 18 years old and maintained a relaxed posture at all times. As they waited, he leaned against his trident spear and finicked around with the dirt beneath his nails.

He glanced over at Tottika, who seemed to be dozing off in front of him. Since he typically stayed awake throughout the night on patrol, he would usually wake up later in the evening.

Bazz laughed quietly. "Hmm - I think we're a bit early brother. I don't see the Appointed Knight anywhere."

Tottika shook awake and looked a Bazz with an unamused glare. "Yeah, I don't see him either._"_

Bazz chuckled and a smirk ran across his face. "Wake up, Tot. I did those night shifts for _years_ y'know - I understand what you're going through." With his fingers still finicking about his nails, he looked up toward the horizon. "Not gonna lie, I wish he would just show up already."

Tottika furrowed his brow and turned his head toward Bazz. "Why?"

Bazz had his eyes trained on the sunset. He paused before placing his hand down to his side.

"Not sure," he said. "Haven't seen this guy in a while. He was a good friend of mine. Hopefully, it won't be awkward." He looked around momentarily and raised an eyebrow at Tottika. "Where's Gaddison? She's supposed to be here with us."

Tottika's eyes widened. "Uh, no clue," He cleared his throat. "Haven't seen her."

Bazz turned his head toward the horizon and squinted. The sun cut deep into his eyes. He could just barely make out a dark figure on horseback riding in their direction.

"I can barely see with this glare," he said. "Maybe the sun is playing tricks with me, but _I think _that black silhouette riding towards us might be him."

Tottika blocked the sun with his hand and looked toward the horizon. "Should I go look for Gaddison?"

"If you want to," Bazz shrugged. "Either way, I will have to greet him without her."

Tottika nodded his head and began walking towards the domain in search of Gaddison. The dark silhouette in front of Bazz continued onto the final bridge leading to the domain, and suddenly, a smirk came across his face.

"Old friend," he whispered.

Link's garments rustled with every heavy step of his steed. When he finally made it halfway through the bridge, he focused his sights on the tall dark Zora that stood in front of him. At that very moment, he identified Bazz and a wave of excitement fell over him. Even after many years, he could still recognize Bazz's leisured posture, and he was relieved to finally see somebody he was more familiar with.

Link slowed Epona to a halt and jumped down from her saddle with a smirk across his face.

The memory of a small boy faded.

Bazz began walking toward him with a proud look in his eye. "Man - What are they feeding you over there?!"

Link laughed and walked over to Bazz with his arm extended outward. The Zora slammed his hand onto Link's and pulled him into a tight hug.

"It's great to see you again, brother," he said. "It's been far too long."

Link grinned and jabbed his fist into Bazz's back.

They pulled away from each other and Bazz gripped firmly onto Link's shoulders. "You're _uncomfortably_ tall."

Link laughed nervously in response.

Interestingly enough, when Link first visited the domain as a child, Bazz was roughly the equivalent of 15 years old. Back then, he took note of Link's uncanny skill with a blade and immediately made friends with him. Regardless of the age difference, Bazz, too, was known as one of the most fierce warriors in Hyrule, so for him to meet a worthy competitor - and a younger one at that - was surely motivation.

Link turned around and began unpacking his belongings from Epona's saddle; a mixture of weaponry and necessary clothing for the trip there. As he gathered his things, Bazz unsealed the entrance to the domain and began walking towards the main plaza.

He turned his head back to Link and smirked. "We should get a move on - you have quite a busy evening ahead of you."

Link gave Bazz a puzzled look then threw his pack over his shoulders.

He walked briskly after Bazz and followed closely by his side. "How so? I'm still a bit unclear as to why I got called here."

Bazz laughed while continuing his gaze forward. "Ironically enough, I am also unclear on the current situation. I was instructed by Gaddison to be here around evening-time to greet you." He dug around his nails. "Something about a letter that Dorephan sent to Hyrule."

Link furrowed his brow at the mention of the letter. His throat choked up with thousands of questions, but before he could speak, he noticed that Tottika and Gaddison were just up ahead walking towards him. Tottika looked exhausted, while Gaddison, on the other hand, looked energized and eager to see them.

As they approached each other, she lifted her hand and said hello to Link.

"Good to see you again, friend," she said. "I'm glad you could make it."

Link bowed in response. "It's good to see you too."

When Link arose he politely looked Gaddison in the eye before speaking. His mind was still tied to the envelope, and he intended to bring it up as soon as possible.

He figured it was probably safe to try sooner than later.

He narrowed his gaze and began to speak. "I tried to get here as soon as I could. We were all very frightened by the letter we received."

Gaddison candidly tilted her head. "How so?"

Link paused. "In the middle of our lunch hour, a General stopped Rhoam and handed him an envelope signed directly to me. When he opened it, he said it was covered with some sort of seal that could evade sentries."

Gaddison stood silently and maintained a deadpan.

She briefly surveyed him. "_Did you touch the envelope?_"

Link shook his head. "No, but when Rhoam tore the paper, I could sense an aura fading. I became worried that something bad had happened."

Gaddison paused briefly before continuing.

"Interesting," she said. "I believe it had something to do with some tension between the Royal Family and the Elder Council. Many of the elders had been nerving up about the impending calamity and they feared our army may be ill-prepared for whatever is coming next."

Link stared intently at Gaddison and continued listening.

She pursed her lips. "After a bumpy debate with the Elders, Dorephan decided to request the aid of one of Hyrule's best warriors - and apparently - you were hand-picked to come attend as a priority."

Link nodded his head politely, but his gaze begged for more information. "Did somebody specifically ask that I come? What happened during the debate? "

Tottika tensed up and cleared his throat.

Gaddison's discomfort became apparent. "Uhm. I'm not sure," she said naively. "I was not at the meeting myself, so I could not say."

"Is Mipha alright? Where is she?" Link said.

She raised an eyebrow and Tottika tapped his foot impatiently.

Before she could say anything, Bazz cleared his throat and intervened. "I know there's a lot of information to catch up on, but it is important that Link prepares to meet with our evening class before we run out of sunlight." He walked over toward the center of the plaza and looked over at the other two chief guards. "Rivan held his class a few hours late to be able to greet the Appointed Knight." With a quick glance to the right, he locked eyes with Link. "You remember Rivan don't you? He was a part of the brigade when we last saw each other."

Link stared at Bazz blankly. "Brigade?"

"You don't remember? _The Big Bad Bazz Brigade?!_" Bazz exclaimed. "We were in it along with Rivan and Gaddison!"

After a few seconds, it finally clicked. Link recalled the memory of a faded-black Zora named Rivan who often spent a lot of time with Bazz. When Bazz took notice of Link's skill with the blade, he immediately introduced him to Rivan, who was a well-known spearman in the domain. At such a young age, Link was already teaching them things they knew nothing about, so they stuck close by his side.

Link's eyes widened and he nodded his head eagerly. "Oh yes, I recall now."

Bazz chuckled and looked briefly at Gaddison. "Good. Well, either way, his evening class holds all of our most advanced students in the program, and they are currently waiting at the East Reservoir Lake. They are incredibly excited to meet you."

Gaddison nodded. "I should go and notify the superiors of your arrival," She looked back at Link with an ounce of apprehension. "Sorry, but I will have to excuse myself momentarily. Tottika and Bazz will guide you to the Reservoir."

Link nodded as he readjusted the bag on his back, and the three of them began chatting as they continued east toward the reservoir.

After a moment, Gaddison backed away slowly and paced toward a spiral stairwell near the center of the plaza. She waited for a few seconds until they were well out of sight and then turned the corner down the hall to Mipha's room.

She tried her best to stay unseen. There was a good chance that Mipha was still in her room recovering from the night before.

A stiff gust of wind blew as the evening sun began to set over the horizon. It was late so the sun was starting to slowly remove the blue dome from over the sky. Gaddison patiently continued down the hallway and could feel the tension inside herself rise as she got closer to Mipha's door. When she finally made it, she leaned in close to the frame to see if she was there. She took a deep breath and gently knocked on the door.

After a few seconds, light shuffling was heard from inside.

_"Come in," _said a voice from behind the door.

Gaddison took in a deep breath and reached down for the door handle. She twisted it gently until it clicked open.

She poked her head inside as the door creaked open. "Princess Mipha, I'm sorry to bother you."

Mipha was sitting down at her desk with a pen in her hand. She was writing in a small journal in front of her. Her pen gently met with her desk as she turned around in her chair.

"Oh - Hello Gaddison." she said. "I was just doing some writing. Do you need anything?"

Gaddison opened the door fully and took a step inside. "I know you are busy but I wanted to check and see how you were doing."

Mipha seemed to have completely reset from the night before. After resting, she had let go of her uncertainties and fears.

She tilted her head to the side and blinked lightly. "I am well, why do you ask?"

Gaddison leaned up against the door. "I was worried about you. Tottika told me you had a hard time sleeping last night."

Mipha paused and nodded naively. "I did, but I got some rest and I feel much better now." She looked over at the note on her nightstand briefly and looked back at Gaddison. "I got your note last night. Thank you for that. You and Tottika both take such good care of me."

Gaddison smiled and relaxed her shoulders. She could tell that Mipha had moved past her qualms and was handling herself with care. This next step, however, would prove to be crucial.

She pushed the door back open with her hand. "Princess," she said. "I know you are busy, but _I believe there's somebody here that you would like to see_."

Mipha tilted her head curiously and stood up from her seat. She walked towards the door as Gaddison held it open for her. As they both walked outside, Gaddison pointed toward the bridge leading up to the reservoir.

Not too far away Tottika and Bazz could be seen with a slightly shorter figure, clad in Royal Hylian blue. Mipha leaned against the balcony to get a better view.

To Gaddison's surprise, Mipha stared calmly in their direction and blinked lightly. "Who is that walking next to Bazz?"

Gaddison leaned in close. "That is the Appointed Knight. He just arrived to give the student mentoring thing a go."

Mipha stared in disbelief and marveled at him. Her mind immediately filled with questions, but it did not take long for her to come to a realization.

"How is he here?" Mipha asked.

Gaddison blinked. "What do you mean?"

"How did you?" Mipha raised an eyebrow and froze in place. "How is he here? What did you do-? "

Gaddison cleared her throat and put on a naive face. "Do? What do you mean?"

Mipha became lost for words. Though Gaddison was trying to be covert, it was very obvious.

Mipha fought with a mixture of emotions and with a sharp leer she whispered. "Gaddison - you could get in _so much _trouble if you had something to do with this. How is he here if Muzu took the envelope into his room?""

Gaddison maintained a strong deadpan and said nothing.

Mipha wanted so badly to be angry, but she could not be. The surprise of seeing _him _was making it very difficult for her to be upset. Gaddison was successfully playing dumb in front of her. She paused and shook off her frustration - there was no time to be upset.

Her tone changed and she began adjusting her garments. "Well, c_learly_ I have to go and greet him. I barely have any time to get ready. Do you know how long he will be here?"

Gaddison shook her head. "Not sure. I do not think you have anything to worry about though." She paused and fought to hide the cute look painted across her face. With an eager tone, she leaned in and whispered. "He asked me where you were just now. I think he really wants to see you."

Mipha's heart gently skipped a beat inside of her. She took account of the last time she saw him and realized how vital it was for her to stay calm during these situations. He seemed more responsive when she approached him with confidence. At that moment, she tamed her rampant heart and tried to cloak herself; there was nothing to be afraid of. Her emotions were perfectly normal. The key would be to control her rampant heart, rather than the other way around.

She took a deep breath and straightened her back. It was as if the stars had aligned; her emotions and the arrival of the Appointed Knight had finally met in a space in between - not too ecstatic, and not too stagnant.

"Thank you for letting me know of this Gaddison." she said. "I will be getting ready to go greet him. Please let my father know that I will be at the Reservoir with Rivan's class."

Gaddison bowed and arose proudly. "Will do."

* * *

The sound of a cold iron blade being pulled from its sheath was heard followed by the sound of several amazed little voices. Link stood in front of a group of roughly ten Zora students all around the age equivalent of six to ten years old as he demonstrated the proper unsheathing technique of the enchanted blade.

Rivan stood behind the group of students with a delighted smirk across his face. Though he was not as close with Link as Bazz was, he still had a high degree of respect for the Appointed Knight's discipline when it came to swordsmanship. Rivan was not as tall as Bazz or Tottika, but he was built and very physically fit. His skin tone was also a bit faded. He was roughly the age equivalent of 19 years old. As a warrior, he was more than just well-trained - he was a born natural - much like Link.

Rivan crossed his arms, pleasantly surprised by Link's genuine interest in teaching the youth. "Formalities are fun and all," he said. "but how about we do something a little more interesting?"

He reached into a pouch along his waistband and pulled out a pair of throwing stars that closely resembled those that Lizalfos used in lieu of their blades. "How about some defensive techniques?"

Link grinned, and with his blade in-hand he took a defensive stance.

The students all gasped in awe, not expecting any sort of physical altercations in class that day. Amongst the group of students stood a small and eager red Zora, an heir to the family throne. This was Sidon, Mipha's younger brother. He was glued to Link's firm stance and lack of fear in his eyes. In awe, he clenched his tiny fists together and gritted his teeth with anticipation.

Rivan smirked and lifted the stars close to his face. "This should be interesting."

Without warning, he lunged the stars forward with blinding force and Link quickly withdrew his shield from behind his back. After taking a few steps to the right, he lifted his shield to his face and successfully parried the incoming projectiles. He lowered his shield to his brow and noticed that Rivan was reaching to his pouch once more to continue volleying stars at him.

He acted quickly, and in a surprising gesture, he began barreling toward Rivan with his blade nearly scraping the ground beneath him. Rivan flinched, and with agility, he launched several handfuls of stars toward the knight. Link kicked himself to the side to create a gap between himself and Rivan as he watched his stars bounce off of the pavement just beside his boots.

The Appointed Knight had proven to be well-honed in his combat skills. He was masterfully attuned to situational awareness and was able to gather leverage over Rivan in only a matter of seconds. Link's boots twisted against the ground as he continued barraging toward Rivan. For a moment it seemed that Link had a clear opening to call it game-over. At the last second, however, Rivan reached to his side and pulled out a short blade. He switched to a defensive stance and braced himself.

Link lunged his blade forward, timing his steps just enough to avoid impaling Rivan, but as he continued barreling forward, Rivan took a few steps to the side and met the Knights sword-arm with his off-hand.

After parrying his blade, he rolled over on the ground and recovered from the impact. The Appointed Knight launched backward from the blow and managed to get his footing. He was panting loudly. Rivan was also struggling to catch his breath.

Rivan chuckled and stood upright with a shortness of wind in his tone. "Students, you have just witnessed the importance of being able to read your opponent's right-hand."

Link too stood upright and sheathed his sword. Rivan walked towards him and they pulled each other inward with a handshake.

Rivan turned to face the group. "The Appointed Knight was able to quickly apprehend me by thinking ahead and successfully plotting out my moves," he said. "I had to compensate by pulling out my short-blade - which as you all know should only be used as a last resort."

The group of students in front of them were beaming, starry-eyed. They had never seen a live-action spar between such high-level warriors before. Sidon was bouncing in place and glued his sights on the blade the sealed the darkness which hung on the Appointed Knight's back. Its intricate design and revered power was hard to ignore.

As he continued admiring Link's gear, he noticed that several yards away, Mipha was walking up the stairs to the main platform of the Reservoir with a rather elegant set of garments on. She locked eyes with Sidon, who was about to erupt with excitement at the sight of her, and before he could make a sound, she lifted a finger up to her lips and shook her head.

She didn't want to interrupt their class by bringing attention to herself. She also wanted to keep the element of surprise on her side - Link had not seen her yet that day, and she wanted to see how he would react to being caught off-guard.

Sidon responded by innocently retracting his eagerness and placing his hands in front of him.

As Mipha approached the group, Rivan dusted himself off and placed a hand on Link's shoulder. "That was a fun little spar mate." he said. "Let's do it again sometime, but _for real_."

Link laughed and put on a proud grin. He placed his hands on his hips. "You know where to find me,"

Rivan smiled but quickly shifted his expression when he saw Mipha approaching from behind the Appointed Knight. With urgency, he stood to attention, and Link reacted with a puzzled look on his face.

He still had not realized who was standing directly behind him.

He felt a gentle tap on his shoulder, and he turned around to see her standing there, with a relievingly familiar smile across her face. She wasn't wearing her typical attire; on that day she had on a series of yellow royal cords that wrapped elegantly around her neck and torso. Her waist was beveled with a matching sundress that flowed gracefully between her legs.

He was paralyzed for a moment, captivated by her humble beauty.

She fluttered her fingers playfully at him. "Hi Link,"

He opened his mouth to utter a sound but he could not. Instead, he dropped down to one knee in front of her and bowed his head in respect. She blushed as she felt several eyes upon her after Link dropped down.

She chuckled and leaned forward with her hands over her sundress. "Sorry to startle you. I was trying to be sneaky."

Rivan also bowed in respect and maintained a straightened posture. "Good Evening my lady. We did not expect to see you here today."

Mipha nodded in response. "I apologize for the interruption," She looked at Link innocently as he began to stand up. "I thought it would be rude for me to not properly greet our guest."

Rivan smiled and placed his hands over his hips. "He was quite the treat for us today. It was a pleasure having him." He politely leaned forward between the two of them. "If you two would excuse me for a moment. I have to return my students to the plaza. I'm sure their parents have been patiently waiting down below." He patted Link firmly on the shoulder. "It was truly an honor to have you teaching our youth today. You should come back again sometime. I wish you didn't have to go."

Mipha raised an eyebrow and looked at Link with a hint of longing. As Rivan gathered up his students, Mipha leaned in close to Link.

"Go?" she said. "When are you supposed to leave?"

Link shrugged in response. "Rhoam gave me the freedom to plan my time the way I see fit, as long as Zelda doesn't need help."

Mipha pursed her lips at the mention of her name. "I see,"

For a split second they stood in silence staring at one another. From the silence, Mipha heard a deep growling sound coming from the belly of the Appointed Knight.

She gave him a surprised grin and tilted her head to the side. "_Was that your stomach?_"

He scratched the back of his head. "I haven't had much to eat since yesterday."

"Since _yesterday?"_ she whispered forcefully. "Are you mad? You can't go so long without eating."

He shrugged his shoulders. "We all got very worried after Rhoam read the letter from Dorephan. I immediately thought of you. I made my way over here as quickly as I could."

She could not believe the words that she was hearing. It was like someone took her heart and began to melt it on the side of the sun. In an attempt to keep herself calm, she simply continued looking into his eyes.

"That's very thoughtful of you," she said. She walked closer and locked eyes with him again. "I'm sure you're probably quite busy, but it just makes no sense for you to have traveled all the way here only to leave so shortly thereafter - especially on an empty stomach." She swayed candidly to the side. "You're more than welcome to stay at the domain tonight if you need to rest."

Link blushed and raised an eyebrow. He moved his head to the side. "But where would I stay?"

Mipha giggled. "We have an inn, _silly_." She pointed down towards the domain. "It's quaint but it has a nice view."

Link smiled pleasantly. "Well, as long as it's no trouble, then I'll gladly stay the night here."

They were about to continue conversing, but to their surprise, a tiny hand began tugging at Mipha's dress. They both looked down and saw Sidon standing directly between them with a rather intrigued look on his face. He glowed with energy and had a curious gimmer in his eye.

Mipha smiled and looked down at Sidon. "Say hi to Master Link, Sidon."

Link kneeled down in front of Sidon and offered his hand.

Sidon waved shyly.

He tugged on Mipha's dress and pointed at the sword hanging on Link's back. "_Can I touch the Master Sword?_"

Mipha dropped her shoulders in defeat as Sidon beamed with amusement.

Link chuckled and looked up at Mipha with an impressed look on his face. "Amazing, he's a lot bigger than the last time I saw him,"

Mipha chuckled and shook her head. "He's quite the handful," She leaned forward and lifted Sidon into her arms. "He's shy at first, but once gets a hold of you, you will never be able to get rid of him."

Link smiled and began to gather his belongings that he had brought with his backpack. Mipha stood off to the side with Sidon clinging to her neck.

She was beginning to realize that her feelings for the Appointed Knight had little to do with his appearance. It wasn't only his handsome demeanor that she admired; his silent kindness and unending bravery towards all things made her blindingly attracted to him. The first time they reunited - when the unarmed chariot arrived - he was quiet and did not have much to say. But now that she had successfully peeled back his layers, she was beginning to see that his silence had a deeper meaning - maybe the life of a flawless soldier was overbearing. Imagine the fate of the entire world hinging on the bravery of one individual - and that individual being you.

Mipha understood this. Being an heir to an incredibly powerful family throne, she constantly felt the pressure of political powers at play. She admired that Link was clearly facing a similar trial, but with the added challenge of being _also_ being dangerously skilled in combat. Not once did she ever see or hear him complain about his highly demanding responsibilities. He always handled himself with grace, and she was surprisingly drawn to this. To reunite with him was to grow new virtues. She could feel herself becoming the person she knew she was destined to be.

As Link lifted himself upright, she noticed herself staring and quickly looked away.

He turned his head toward Mipha and beamed with a positive light. "Ready whenever you are,"

He walked closer to her and she felt a wave of strength and tranquility come over her. Instead of speaking she simply smiled at him and nodded.

He adjusted his heavy backpack. "Everything ok?"

"Yes." she said. "Yes. Everything is wonderful."

* * *

_ Solidarity Hymn - The Beam I Sought Always Burnt _

* * *

_Alright lovies, here comes the heart wrench. I personally love stories that involve the actions and decisions of other characters; and how they sometimes unfold a very sublime turn of events. The most crucial people in life are the ones that stand by to always make sure you're okay. I feel strongly this way about Gaddison and the rest of the Zora. I highly recommend visiting Zora's Domain in the game itself and talk to some of the npc's. There's some really beautiful stories in there. _


	12. The Silent Champion

**Chapter 11 - The Silent Champion  
**

A purple dome was beginning to cover the sky as she walked closely by the Appointed Knight. She had already put Sidon to sleep and many of the evening guards were switching into their overnight shifts. This meant that the day was coming to a close, and most of the Zora were preparing for bed. There were only a few that were awake, most of which were working at the inn or at the general store. The night was silent and lamps were illuminated a path along the entire domain as the two walked across the plaza towards the inn.

Link spoke about his recent responsibilities with Central Hyrule, and Mipha glued herself closely next to him, carefully listening to what he had to say.

The life of a warrior had worn down on his personality - he eventually gave up on speaking all-together. He emphasized the culture of a "do-not-speak-until-spoken-to" sort of attitude in Central Hyrule. The domain did not have much of that.

Mipha was relieved to hear this. The Zora were known for their incomparable degree of hospitality, and she intended to demonstrate this to him in every way possible. Uncertainty had been prevalent around him before, but the more she ran into him, the more she felt at ease with his presence. They recounted many old memories from when they were younger; often times Link would get hurt by running into walls and things all over the domain, or by getting into _friendly_ scuffles with Bazz or Rivan. Due to his recklessness, Mipha found herself constantly healing his wounds. At first, she did it out of concern, but the more she had to clean up the clumsy young Hylian, the more she became infatuated with his beaming blue eyes. She found them infectious; adorable.

Now, as young adults, they rejoiced in a newfound friendship. Though both of them had changed a lot, revisiting their old memories had revitalized the strong bond that they once had. At this point, the Appointed Knight had removed his veil; he was not shy to continue sharing his stories.

His hands were resting over the back of his head as he rambled on about his experiences.

"One time as a trainee, I had to avoid a Hinox on the way to an outpost," he said. "It awoke from the sound of a twig," His eyes stared off into the distance. "I definitely had to learn the hard way," He looked over with a witty grin. "There are so many stories I could tell you."

They reached the arched entrance of the inn.

Mipha smiled gently at Link. "Consider me your audience," she whispered. "You are more than welcome to continue."

Link laughed and walked through the arches alongside her.

The Seabed Inn was this incredibly petite space with a pair of beds off to the side and a check-in counter across the room. It neighbored another small space, which was a kitchen area, equipped with basic ingredients, a stone fire, and all sorts of various spices. Behind the counter, there was one blue Zora, Kayden, who did most of the work at the inn. He was skinny and had long lanky arms. He was almost the same height as Bazz, which was rare for a non-warrior Zora. He was facing the wall behind the counter, sorting out what seemed to be a safebox for keys and such. As Mipha and Link approached, he murmured to himself, sorting through name tags.

He turned around to see them standing there and jumped at their presence. "_Oh jeez_ \- sorry. I didn't see you there."

Mipha and Link also jumped slightly. Kayden immediately snapped back to reality and bowed to Mipha reluctantly.

"Sorry to startle you Kayden," Mipha said. "I was walking with my friend to show him the inn."

Kayden looked over at Link with a puzzled look. "Friend?" He continued staring. "Looks oddly familiar."

Link furrowed his brow and stood in silence.

Mipha laughed gently to herself. "It is very likely that you met him many years ago when he was a bit younger. He has visited a few times in the past infrequently."

Suddenly, the lightbulb went off. "Oh, ok. You're that one guy who ran into things all the time."

Link and Mipha winced in surprise.

"I never quite met you," Kayden said. "but I have heard all about you." He glanced over at the Appointed Knight's sword once more. "You must be a truly exceptional warrior to wield that sword."

Link flinched.

Before anybody could say anything Kayden nodded his head with a polite smile. "It's nice to meet you finally," He looked over at Mipha. "How can I help you?"

Mipha glanced over to Link. "I was hoping to let him stay here for the night."

Kayden nodded happily. "Sure thing, make yourself at home."

Link nodded and put his backpack down beside him. "How much will that be?"

"Oh, for a friend of the Princess, it will be free of charge," Kayden said. "Feel free to get settled."

Mipha bowed to Kayden. "Thank you," She looked over at Link with a warm gaze. "You're welcome to accommodate yourself wherever you like. We'll give you some privacy so you can unpack."

She then looked back at Kayden, who had a rather peculiar smirk across his face. It didn't take long for him to realize what was going on there.

Mipha naively placed her hands in front of her. "Kayden, could I get your help with something very quick?"

Kayden nodded. "Yes of course."

Link continued to unpack his things by his bedside while Kayden and Mipha walked across the corridor to the kitchen area just next door.

After they were far enough away Mipha shyly leaned in close to Kayden and whispered into his ear. "_Can you help me light the stove?"_

Kayden chuckled and nodded his head. "Of course" he whispered. "Are you making him some food?"

Mipha nodded.

He fought to explode from cuteness - he found it endearing, their silent charade.

With a precarious grin on his face, he placed a hand on Mipha's shoulder. "I'll light the stove for you, and if you want I can give you guys some space, especially since you'll be '_cooking'_ and all that."

Mipha winced and began blushing. "Kayden you don't have to do that,"

Kayden chuckled and nodded confidently. "No, I will do that - besides, I have to meet up with Kodah soon to walk her home. I was planning on leaving the inn unattended to do so." He winked at Mipha. "_Maybe you guys could keep an eye on the place?_"

Mipha rebelled with embarrassment. "K-Kayden stop you're being silly,"

By the time she had said this, Kayden had already pulled a match from a pouch on his waistband and lit it. With it, he ignited the pilot flame beneath the cast iron stove and set the fire ablaze.

Kayden waved at Mipha naively as he walked out the door. "Great, thanks. Gotta run!"

Mipha shook her head in disbelief as Kayden ran off into the plaza before she had a chance to contest his actions. Interestingly enough, deep inside she felt more relaxed knowing she would be less intrusive if she simply had the kitchen area to herself. Almost immediately she began mentally preparing the dish for Link in her head. She glanced over at the other room and could vaguely see him carefully unpacking his gear. Right at that moment, she knew what he needed.

As the fire beneath continued to heat the cast-iron stove, she walked over to a cupboard nearby and grabbed a handful of ingredients: garlic, goat butter, and two shakers of spices. Up above from a cabinet hung a set of small, hearty black truffles and she picked one from the bundle.

Carefully, she lined up all her ingredients in a row atop a large stone countertop. At the center of it was a wooden cutting board, which she used as a guide to keep her ingredients nice and organized. On the other side of the room, there was an icebox, which usually kept several fish and mollusks. She walked over to it and began examining its containments. Inside there was one porgy, a good amount of shrimp, and several mussels.

She reached into the icy container with both of her hands and pried the frozen seafood from inside. The frost from inside began to evaporate as the warm humid air from outside met the skins of the frozen sealife. She carried them carefully back across the room where she laid out the ingredients and placed them over the cutting board.

Using a knife from the countertop, she cut slivers into the half-frozen skin of the porgy on both sides. She then placed it, along with the mollusks off to the side of the countertop, which faced the fire on the stove. This would help the meat thaw out faster while she prepared the other ingredients.

After wiping the sweat from her brow, she began by cutting into the two cloves of garlic over the cutting board to break them open. With the tips of her fingers, she lined out the cloves and carefully began to mince them over the wood. The gentle sound of the knife tapping against the countertop was heard echoing from inside the stone walls if the inn. The stove was now emanating a powerful heat, and straightaway she grabbed the sticks of goat butter and threw them into the cast iron bowl that burned over the fire.

Upon impact, the sticks of butter began to sizzle loudly, and a creamy aroma began to fill the room.

Without a second to spare, she picked up the cutting board and using the knife she pushed the minced garlic into the sizzling butter. The velvety aroma was now infused with the rich smell of slightly-browned garlic. She took a breath in and admired its infectious fragrance for a moment before walking back over to the cutting board. She grabbed the hearty truffle and cut it into small chunks, then laid them off to the side. As the garlic continued to brown over the fire, she grabbed the two shakers of spices and added several sweeps of it across the buttery sauce.

In order to keep the fire from burning the butter or garlic, she reached below the stove and grabbed a large wooden fan from beneath. With it, she fanned the flame aggressively to tame the heat across the bottom, and using a lever on the side, she raised the cast iron bowl from the fire just a few inches. This would help lower the heat across the stove altogether.

Once again, she wiped the sweat from her brow as she checked on the fish to see if they were thawed enough to cut. With her index finger, she poked at the porgy and it cushioned beneath her touch. The meat was finally tender enough to try and cut through. Before doing so, she looked over at the stove and saw that the butter was now perfectly infused with the spices and garlic, at which point she added the chopped truffle into the mix.

Before it could brown, she reached above the cabinet and pulled out a bottle of white wine.

She opened it and placed her thumb over the spout as she tilted the bottle over the flame and doused the smooth mix of ingredients. The alcohol immediately evaporated with a loud crackle, and it halted the cooking process for a moment as it began to infuse with the various ingredients. She placed a lid over the stove and walked back over to the thawing porgy. She grabbed the knife and began to cut into it to separate the meat from the bone.

Meanwhile, Link was off in the other room changing out of his day clothes and into a light shirt and shorts. The tantalizing smell coming from the kitchen had broken into the other room and it immediately filled his nostrils.

Like a cartoon character, he stopped what he was doing and let the delightful aroma drag him from his nose into the kitchen area. As he dreamily passed through the corridor, Mipha heard his footsteps and immediately laid the knife down on the cutting board.

She turned around and met his eyes with a stern blush across her face. "Excuse me," she said. "What do you think you're doing?" With puffed-up cheeks, she waved her finger in front of him. "Get back in there please."

Link, completely in a trance, continued to lazily drag his feet toward the source of the aroma and met Mipha with an incredibly aroused grin across his face. "Watcha makin'?" he asked.

She continued blushing as she fiddled her fingers together. "Well, it was _supposed_ to be a surprise." She pursed her lips as she looked into his eyes. "I was making you food since you haven't eaten in so long."

The Appointed Knight was now up against his biggest weakness - food. He desperately salivated as he loomed over the crackling stove. "It smells so good,"

She chuckled and walked back to the cutting board, where the porgy was now completely chopped into small pieces, leaving nothing but the bone and head behind. She grabbed the meat, the mollusks, and some leftover garlic and placed it together over the cutting board.

As Link continued to salivate over the stove, she walked carefully beside him and slid the seafood mix into the bubbling wine-sauce.

His jaw hit the ground as the shrimp and mussels sizzled gently inside the sauce, unleashing a strong aroma of ocean salt into his nostrils. She giggled quietly to herself and fought hard to let a huge dopey smile across her face.

He was so adorable when he was hungry.

"I thought you might like it," she said. "It's Seafood Paella."

Link looked at her with an almost intoxicated look in his eye. "Seafood what?"

She grabbed a wooden spoon from the countertop and began to stir the fish gently inside the stove. _"Paella -_ It's a typical dish here at the domain. I usually add a small amount of hearty truffle - it gives it an interesting touch."

Link had the look on his face like he had fallen in love with her gorgeous monologue. His stomach groaned as he hovered over the tantalizing melting pot of flavors.

His face shrivelled up as he covered his stomach with his arms. "I feel like I haven't eaten in years,"

She covered her mouth as she giggled at him. "It should be ready in just a few minutes," As she continued to admire his trance-like state, she suddenly remembered something. "Oh - I almost forgot the rice." She began walking to the pantry and had to walk past Link to do so.

Link turned around, in a daze. "You what?"

He stumbled a bit and without meaning to, he bumped directly into Mipha, who's head bounced off his chest gently from the impact. The intoxicating aroma of his clothes rushed into her lungs when she gasped into his shirt.

Immediately she held her breath and started to shiver.

He placed his hands on her shoulders. "Oh - sorry, are you ok?"

She was red all over. "Y-yes, uh, I just have to get over there," She candidly paddled over to the pantry and fumbled around for the rice. When she found it, she took it into her arms and took a deep breath before turning around. Her face was burning red. She moved quickly and avoided eye contact with him to hide her embarrassment. Almost in a trance, she cleared her throat as she transferred the rice from the vine into the boiling pot.

Link, too, started to blush. "I think I'll go back to my room so you can have some space,"

Mipha nodded and bit her lip gently. "Okay, no problem."

As he walked back into his room, she leaned against the counter and sighed quietly to herself. Her heart was racing and the room was spinning. From behind, she could hear the iron pot rolling gently behind her, so it was likely that the food was almost ready. She tried her best to keep herself together as she lifted the lid from the pot and continued stirring its contents.

The burning aroma of his tunic was quickly inebriating her. It canceled out the taste of garlic in the air. She could feel nothing but his accidental touch on her frame. It was difficult, but she shook her head and focused her attention back on the food atop the stove.

She reached just behind the stove and carefully pulled out a large bowl, which she walked over to a water spicket and filled up to the brim. She walked the full bowl of water back to the stove and splashed it over the burning flame below.

It extinguished immediately, and after putting down the bowl she lifted the lid from the stove to reveal a gorgeous trifecta of seafood and various ingredients. The rice was surprisingly well steamed and it rose delicately around the mussels and shrimp.

She took in a deep whiff and let out a satisfied sigh.

A set of plates rested on a table nearby. She grabbed one and began serving food from the pot to it with a wooden spoon. A heap of rice and plenty of mollusks; the plate emanated an alluring aroma as she walked from the kitchen to the other room where Link was. Passing through the corridor, she could see that he was patiently waiting at his bedside with an eager look in his eye.

"Ready?" he asked.

Mipha smiled. "Yes, and without a moment to spare."

She handed him the plate full of food and his mouth began to water the second his hands touched the plate.

Something animalistic came over him, and without hesitating, he immediately began to dig into the plate of food right there on the bed. Mipha laughed quietly to herself in amusement. She sat next to him on the bed and pulled her knees close to her body.

"How does it taste?" she asked.

He lifted his head from the plate with a slightly crooked eye. With a mouth full of food he uttered: "Amazing."

It didn't take long for him to turn his attention back to the plate so he could continue to stuff his face.

Mipha blushed; he was like a puppy. Just give him food, and he'll be happy. The sound of the fork scraping up against his plate bounced off the walls and echoed down the hall into the kitchen. He had already finished the entire plate of food.

He leaned back with a glutenous look on his face. "That was amazing,"

She admired the fragility of his current position. "It's a miracle you didn't eat the shells too."

Link belched quietly into his hand and laughed. "Yeah," He let out a satisfied sigh and looked over at Mipha. "It's a miracle I didn't eat _the plate._"

She tried to hold it back, but his face looked so aroused when he said this that she laughed nefariously for a moment. Link turned to her with an amused smile on his face because he had never heard her laugh like this before.

He had heard her faintly giggle a few times in the past, but not _like this_. This was her _real_ laugh, and it was infectious; pure and full of light. Her body moved gently along with the rhythm of her steady giggling.

For the first time in years, he felt the cold touch of joy on his heart.

He paused and looked her in the eyes. "Thank you,"

She wiped her eyes as she sputtered in between chuckles. "For what?"

To this, he did not respond. He simply stared deep into her eyes. She blinked a few times as she realized his eyes locked onto hers, and she paused for a moment.

Her face grew bright red.

She cleared her throat got up from the bed. "Uhm, I can take that plate for you."

He handed her the plate and she began to walk over to the kitchen area to leave the plate in the sink.

He followed closely after her.

As she laid the plate down inside the sink, she looked him in the eye and tried to hide her rampant thoughts.

"You should try to get some rest," she said. "You'll be exhausted tomorrow if you don't."

He put his hand on the sink and intervened. "Can I walk you to your room?"

Her heart melted slowly inside of her.

Still, her face was bright red. "Y-you don't have to do that,"

Link looked at her with a puzzled gaze. "Of course I do. Why would I let you walk home alone?"

She huffed in disbelief. "W-well it's right down the plaza a few paces. I think I can manage."

His lips waved into a tiny smile. He knew that he had a duty to protect her.

"I don't care," he said. "I'm coming anyway."

She bound her fingers together and looked down at the ground to attempt to hide her face. "W-well if you insist."

He smiled and put his hands inside of his pockets. He started walking towards the exit and grabbed a coat off of a rack nearby. After stepping outside, he admired the incredible starlight from up above. By this time, the sun had completely faded beneath the horizon, and the gentle chirping of crickets teased the silence of the night. A very clear picture of the interstellar twilight was clearly painted on the sky above. He paid very close attention to the movement of the stars and noticed that a few had allinged in an area just above his eyesight. He marveled and continued to gaze.

Mipha noticed this and stared silently in his direction. It was as if someone was speaking the very words of the gospel into her ears. She realized that Link was not only a beacon, but a _lifeline, _for those who hung to the hinges of love. Like an anchor plunging into the soil, she found the truth to her existence. She realized that her life was not attributed to her own accomplishments; but rather those that carried one into the nature thereof. Those that carry you through the eye of the storm are just as worthy as those that reside therein. She found her strength in the comfort of those who believed in her. She had realized that her life was merely a small framework of a 'bigger picture'. She understood that her existence was only meant to _persevere_ life beyond the time of her own. Her life was meant to _carry_ truth, not direct it.

So she stood silently, in the grasp of his gaze. "We should go then,"

He nodded in response and waited for Mipha to walk alongside. They left the inn and took a turn towards Mipha's room.

The night was serene and peaceful. The running water underneath the domain echoed from the stone walls and blended with the sounds of various wildlife hidden inside the darkness.

She did not expect for him to offer to accompany her. She felt so flattered - being walked home by the Appointed Knight. It made her feel safe. It was difficult for her to keep from reaching over to hold his hand. All she wanted was another touch - the smell of his clothes was still stuck inside of her palate, and the way her head gently bounced off his chest was ravishing, to say the least.

She was trying her best to fight off images of all the things she wanted to do to him. Her shoulders began to shiver. Her thoughts were working her up, and she was burning red with desire.

He saw her shiver and without saying a word, he placed his coat over her shoulders in one quick motion. Her eyes widened. As if her face could not get any redder.

"Thank you," she whispered.

"It gets pretty cold here at night. I forgot that." Link said. "I wouldn't want you to get sick."

The warmth from his coat kept her from shivering, but it certainly did not help get rid of her blush.

She cleared her throat to try and save face. "Well, we can't have you getting sick either," She looked up at him naively. "I can only heal _wounds_, not _colds_."

He laughed. "I beg to differ," he patted his belly with his palms. "Whatever you just cooked for me could cure _anything - and _it was delicious. Plus, I don't get sick - I'm not allowed to."

She huffed to herself. "Well, you're certainly allowed to _rest_ every once in a while. You should try to take better care of yourself."

He grinned and placed his hands behind his head. "Hmph. Maybe one day,"

She looked down at the ground as the aroma of Link's strong cologne emanated from the coat around her shoulders. They were just approaching her room as the aroma had just begun to intoxicate her senses.

She slowed her pace as she approached her door. "This is my room just up ahead," She wrapped the coat tightly around her shoulders. "Mind if I hold onto this?"

He laughed. "Not at all. In fact, please do." He put his hands inside his pockets as he looked up at Mipha's door. "I leave quite early tomorrow."

She paused dead in her tracks and felt a sense of urgency come over her. "So is this good-bye until next time?"

He nodded reassuringly. "'next time' may be much sooner than you think. I intend to come back here soon."

The urgency inside her chest was quickly subsided by his refreshing gaze and fearless demeanor.

"Please do," She whispered.

Her face grew numb as her eyes led her attention along the sides of his lips. She was glued to him. He noticed Mipha blushing, and her fingers were twiddling together underneath his coat.

She took a couple of steps closer with her eyes trained on his, and to this, he broke a sweat. In an attempt to stay calm, he cleared his throat and kept his hands inside his pockets.

Before he could say anything, Mipha leaned forward and snuck a kiss onto the side of his cheek. In her haste, she missed slightly and managed to land it right on the side of his lips by accident. The press of her soft lips on the outside of his sent a chill down his spine.

It felt quick. She pulled away with her hand resting on his chest, and for what felt like an eternity, a silent rush of ecstasy cascaded inside of her.

She pulled her hand away and cleared her throat.

"Until next time," she whispered.

Link was bright red, and the tingle from her kiss was stained on the side of his lips. Choked up for words, he stammered slightly, and before he could say anything Mipha turned away and reached for her door handle.

Link wanted to say '_wait_', but instead all that came out was a muzzled grunt as Mipha quickly stepped inside her room and closed the door behind her.

He stood there for a moment, in awe. The taste of her kiss was gently stained on the side of his face. He leaned up against the side of her door for a moment and tried to take it in.

Just on the other side of the door, Mipha too glued herself against the wall with his coat still wrapped around her. She swayed with intoxication and felt the room began to spin. She felt warm, and a similar rush of excitement to an adrenaline high ran through her veins. Unbenounced to each other, they both sat pressed up against the door, silently waiting and frozen in time.

After a while, he finally pulled himself away from her door and dragged his feet as he stumbled back to the inn. It would take a long time before he fully understood the magnitude of what would come next.

* * *

🎶 SineRider - Four Years Away 🎶

* * *

_Okay we're starting to get closer to those saucy chapters, but I'm just gonna keep the ratings it as is for now.  
_


	13. The Elder Council

**Chapter 12 - The Elder Council**

The wake of the morning sun was unforgiving and it created a glare across the length of her room. Her eyes opened and once she regained consciousness, her thoughts were quickly flooded with memories from the night before; she recalled a bold move that landed her a solid spot on the Appointed Knight's good side - and if only she'd had more time, she might have accomplished more. Unlike the days that came before, on this day, the sun was shining brightly with a clear blue sky hung delicately up above. It energized her, and the thought of having gotten that much closer to him was invigorating. For whatever combination of reasons, it made her feel alive. Her heart was full of positivity.

The Appointed Knight had to leave early to make it back home in time to continue his tasks with the Royal Family. She figured there was a good chance he was still around since the morning was still young. With a quick burst of energy, she threw her covers off of her and grabbed the nearest gown on her coat rack. With the seams of her gown pulled close to her chest, she opened the door and stepped outside to a warm breeze wafting gently across the domain. It had to have been no later than the 6th hour of the morning because a lot of the overnight guards where still present nearby. Typically, the guards would change shifts during the 8th hour of the morning to ensure enough daylight was present to identify any unusual activity. Gaddison was patrolling the entrance and Tottika was by Dorephans quarters.

As she walked up the stairs next to her room, Tottika took note of her from the top of the stairwell and stood to attention.

His armor rustled gently as he straightened his back. "Good morning my lady. You're up early."

Mipha smiled as she walked up the steps with her gown tightly around her. "Good morning Tottika. Have you seen the Appointed Knight?"

"No my lady," Tottika raised an eyebrow. "Would you like me to go look for him?"

She shook her head. "I wanted to say goodbye." She paused and looked at the ground. "Oh - If you see my father, please tell him I wish to speak with him."

Tottika bowed. "Consider it done."

She lowered her head as she passed him by. As she walked back down the stairs, he looked closely at her with concern. The wind blew gently and he felt a bizarre chill down his spine. He fought to stave off the fear he suddenly felt when he saw her walk down toward the inn.

Mipha could feel his uncertainty upon her, and she valiantly fought it off. As if in a trance, she continued toward the inn; she too felt a chill come down her spine. Her feet glided steadily across the stone floor. A quick glance inside the corridor showed that there was nobody inside.

Regardless, she continued inward toward the check-in desk and loosened her grip on the seams of her gown.

A short wave of disappointment come over her when she saw that his bed was unoccupied and tidied up, as if no one were ever there. She pursed her lips with determination. Her heart began racing when she got closer to the bed. A small reflective object near the edge of the mattress caught her eye.

Her head tilted curiously. She slid her feet across the stone floor and tried to get a closer look. Halfway underneath the pillow was a shell from the meal she made the night before. A rush of relief coursed through her veins when she saw it. It made her retain his light-hearted nature - and how spiritually invigorating she became. Without wanting to, a smile rose along the side of her face as her eyes continued to rest on the shiny blue shell.

So long as there was breath in her lungs, she would have hope for his return, time and time again. There was something serendipitous about their friendship - it felt like their fate had already been decided.

A gust of wind blew as her eyes stayed trained on the shell.

"He left well before daybreak," said a voice from behind.

Mipha winced and snapped back to reality. She turned around to see Gaddison standing there at the end of the corridor.

Gaddison stood upright with her hands by her side. "I unsealed the gates for him earlier. He seemed hesitant to go."

Mipha let out a determined sigh. She smiled confidently as she locked eyes with Gaddison. "It's safe to say that I feel the same."

Gaddison walked closer and placed a hand on her shoulder. "I can see that he truly means a lot to you," Her grip tightened. "Something is telling me that you two are destined to face fate together."

When Mipha locked eyes with Gaddison, a strange breeze blew across the domain and it sent another shiver down her spine.

Before Mipha could say anything, Gaddison turned her head towards Dorephan's room. "If only there weren't so many politics involved. Maybe all of these conflicts could be avoided." She paused once more and turned her head back towards Mipha. "Tottika has sent me to let you know that your father is waiting for you in his room. I will be heading that way now."

Mipha straightened her back and nodded. "Thank you, Gaddison."

* * *

Purified water ran down the tall stone pillars that surrounded Dorephan's room. He sat comfortably at his throne reading a lengthy notice from the Hylian Royal Family. When he lifted his eyes from the page, he saw Mipha standing patiently in front of him with her hands in front of her.

His lips bent to a smile. "Hello, my daughter. You asked to see me?"

She nodded her head. "I apologize to bother you." Her stance was firm. "I recall that Zelda had requested me to pilot the recently excavated divine beast and that we've delayed in responding. I was wondering if I could ask some questions regarding my responsibilities."

"Of course," Dorephan laid the notice in his hands off to the side. "What would you like to know?"

Mipha looked at the ground. "Is the likelihood of the impending calamity so certain that the Royal Family is turning to these machines for aid?"

Dorephan Paused. "What do you mean?"

Mipha looked up. "To those of us below you, the outbreak of the Calamity seems uncertain. But to those with more power, such as the Elders, it seems practically inevitable." She looked at the ground once more. "I just want to be perfectly clear on how I can fit into all of this."

Dorephan sat silently with a furrowed brow. "My daughter, I did not wish to worry you with such things involving politics. I feared that you already had enough on your mind." He paused before taking in a deep breath. "Ganon has returned time and time again throughout history. The timely arrival of 'the hero' is typically accompanied by a series of others that help carry out the destinies of Hyrule. Since centuries past, the Zora have always been strong allies with the Hylian Royal Family." He paused. "Most of the time that is."

Mipha looked up at her father inquisitively. "How so?"

Dorephan looked out into the horizon. "Many centuries ago, in a different time and space, the Zora were put at risk by the Royal Family's inability to properly predict the return of Ganon, and in turn our race was plagued with madness and hysteria. After hundreds of years, our own species hardly resembled that which we have always been. The dawn of the River Zora was a time of hardship for our entire race. For this reason, now several thousand years later, we are still apprehensive when dealing with foreign powers."

Mipha nodded politley as her father explained. "I see,"

Dorephan crossed his arms as he continued recounting the lengthy history of Hyrule. "In a similar time, but different space, the Twilight Princess prevented the complete annihilation of the Zora by causing a rip in space time. The hero at the time was bound to a beast form where he was able to free the Zora spirits from their hell. Our queen at the time, Rutella, was very gracious of the hero and his actions toward the Zora, therefore negating the quarrels between us and the Hylian Royal Family for quite some time." He leaned back in his throne. "She reminds me so much of you."

Mipha stared at her father. She tried her best to keep her personal feelings to a minimum. She, however, still felt a bizarre connection to the Appointed Knight, and wanted to know more about why she felt her fate was directly tied to him.

She looked off to the side. "Do you think that destiny has brought me to this place? Am I destined to aid the Appointed Knight just as those who came before me?"

Dorephan raised an eyebrow.

He found it curious that she was focused on him above everything else. "Why do you worry about this boy?" he asked. "Did something happen?"

Mipha began blushing. "N-no. Nothing happened," She looked at her father. "I do not understand why, but I feel something strange come over me every time he is near."

Dorephan tilted his head in astonishment. "How curious," He leaned over in his seat. "It seems that history does in fact repeat itself."

Mipha looked up curiously.

Dorephan smiled. "There was a young Zora princess long ago, whom you are directly related to, that once had an unbreakable affinity for the hero of time. It was said that her love for him saved his soul and allowed him to carry out his duties as savior of Hyrule," He winked. "Maybe that could be the case here."

Mipha winced and continued blushing. "W-what?" She looked away. "Don't be silly."

Dorephan snickered. "Oh my daughter. I may be old, but I am not naive. The Elder Council is a family lineage that dates back eons of time, and each new generation of such has been accompanied by some form of partnership with the Hero of Time." He paused and continued recounting ancient memories.

"There are some elders on the council today that are still angered by the mistreatment of the River Zora," Dorephan said. "And the events that unfolded during the Twilight Era, which is why you may be sensing the tension you do now." He leaned back in his throne. "Hopefully with time, the addition of new Elders on the council will help quell the trauma of our past. Knights like Seggin, Dento, and a few others are said to have a high chance of being inducted into the council - which is good news for all of us. They do not harbor the same animosity as elders like Muzu do."

Mipha was captivated by everything her father was saying. It was apparent that she was carefully trying to piece together every part of the story. She nodded her head confidently once she made sense of it all.

"I see now." she said. "I have made my decision." She looked up at her father with a powerful gaze. "I will be accepting my role as Pilot of Vah Ruta at once." She gripped tightly to the Zora Sapphire around her neck. "There is no use avoiding my fate. I am ready to take on my responsibilities as an heir to this throne," She looked down at the ground and whispered. "I will aid the Appointed Knight in his journey. Of that, you can be certain."

* * *

🎶 Oleg Byonic - Light Up The Sky 🎶

* * *

_Wow hey - back from the dead again. I had to take some time off from writing because life happens. I hope you guys are enjoying the story so far! Share/follow/fav/review!_


	14. The Lightscale Trident

**Chapter 13 - The Lightscale Trident**

Time seemed to move much slower on this side of the sun; Mipha had taken up several tasks with high ranking captains to keep herself occupied after accepting her fate with Vah Ruta. In particular, Seggin, the Demon Sargent, was known to be one of the busier ones and required a good deal of help sorting through various documents.

He was called the Demon Sargent presumably due to his strong resistance to electricity exposure. He could strike fear into the hearts of opponents by simply stepping onto the battlefield. Since he would be next to take on the role of Elder, he required assistance at all times of the day, and Mipha was gracious enough to offer her hand in anyway she could.

Being Bazz's father, Seggin watched Mipha grow throughout the years, and was always there to take care of her when Dorephan was away. Needless to say, Seggin held Mipha in extremely high regard. After Dento crafted the Lightscale Trident to commemorate her birth, Seggin took her close under his wing and taught her everything she knew about advanced combat.

On this day, Seggin had to sort out various documents inside the mail room detailing more affairs with the Royal Family of Hyrule. Mipha was next to a long table in the mailroom sifting through various envelopes in search for the ones marked with a blue hylian logo.

Seggin was on the opposite side of the room, impatiently rummaging through the pile of papers. "What a mess," said Seggin. "Careful not to get a paper cut."

Mipha huffed as she flipped envelopes around with her hand. "I think I'll be fine."

An impatient hand came over his face as he flustered around with various documents. "I can't stand this," he said. "Hyrule could afford to be a bit more organized." He picked up a pile of opened envelopes and tossed it into a bin off to the side. "_Trash." _He scoffed.

The light in the room was illuminating Mipha's side much better than his.

He laid his hands on the table in defeat. "I have to get on with the rest of my duties." A stack of envelopes off to his side had blue emblems on each side. "Do you think you could sort through these and find the ones signed to Dorephan? The rest are for the Elder Council."

Mipha turned to face him and nodded with glee. "Of course,"

A sigh of relief left his lungs. "Thank you," He furrowed his brow as he looked at Mipha. "Have you been fairing well? I'm sure there's a lot on your mind after all this commotion."

She smiled with a positive light. "I'm doing fine. After taking some time to think it over, I accepted Princess Zelda's request to pilot Divine Beast Vah Ruta," Her fingers sifted through Seggin's stack of envelopes. "I don't think we really had any other choice to be honest. It would only make sense for me to do so."

Seggin's face flushed pale with concern. "Excuse me? Do you have any idea how unstable these machines are?" He crossed his arms. "The Royal Family has no right to pressure you like this. They barely even know how these things work. You should have taken more time to consider it."

Humility came across her face in the form of a tiny smile. "Well what other choice did we have?" Her hands continued to sift through various letters. "Would you have preferred Sidon to take it on?"

He scoffed. "Obviously not," He tapped his fingers impatiently. "Gaddison could have done it - she's very capable."

"Do you think I am incapable?" Mipha laid the letters aside.

Seggin flared his brow. "Of course not," He tilted his head as another sigh escaped his chest. "It would be impossible for me not to worry about you, Mipha. You are precious to us all."

To this, Mipha simply shrugged her shoulders and continued to sort through the stack of papers in front of her. Seggin's arms were still folded in front of him.

"I have no doubt you would be able to tame Ruta effortlessly," he said. "You learned how to pick up the Lightscale Trident in just a matter of minutes. I am sure this will be no different." The table rattled from behind him as he stood upright and made his way towards the door.

"Take your time with these documents, it doesn't all have to be done today," he said. "I will be next door with Dento if you need me."

Mipha nodded politely. "Okay, no problem."

A soft turn of the door handle swung the hinges ajar. With his hands behind his back, he closed the door behind him and made his way to Dento's workshop.

Mipha let out a long sigh and continued to sort through the marked envelopes. Each Hylian logo looked to have been stamped vicariously by a rather impatient mail clerk. Some were rough around the edges and a couple even had coffee stains on them.

As she continued to rummage through the letters, her eye came across one in particular labeled "Requests for the Appointed Knight." Naturally, her heart jumped up into her throat and her hands grew clammy. Part of her wanted to take a peek inside the envelope to see what was inside.

She took the envelope into her hands and stared longingly at it. Brewing with determination, she pursed her lips and began to calculate the possibility of his return. Maybe there was something she could do to speed up the process.

Just then, her eyes met with a pile of blank paper and unused envelopes on a cubby up above the table. A quick glance around ensured a stealthy opportunity to act. She reached for a plume on the table and dipped it in ink. With her other hand, she grabbed a blank sheet of paper and began to write onto it.

"Hi stranger," she wrote. She bit her lip as ink from her plume dragged across the page. There wouldn't be much to it - she simply wanted to get his attention. From behind her, however, she could hear footsteps getting closer to the door, and she scrambled to write a quick line and fold the piece of paper in half.

The short note candidly detailing her longing for him managed to make its way inside the empty envelope, and just then, the door clicked open from behind her. Her face was blushing bright red, and she quickly hid the envelope beneath the stack of papers in front of her.

From behind the door came a familiar voice. "Princess Mipha - are you in here?"

To her relief, it was only Gaddison and not somebody else. She turned around and stood in front of the stack of papers to conceal her letter.

Her face was still blushing bright red. "Hi Gaddison. Do you need anything?"

Gaddison raised an eyebrow but pretended not to notice Mipha's sly expression. "Sorry to bother you. Dento was polishing your Lightscale Trident and he sent me to let you know that it's ready," She stood on her tip toes to try and get a better look at whatever Mipha was hiding behind her. "Whatcha got back there?"

"Uh," She lowered her head. "It's nothing."

Gaddison gave her a precarious smile and walked towards the table and noticed the corner of an envelope very obviously hidden beneath a stack of papers.

Her eyes met Mipha's. "I don't even need to see it. I think I already know what it is."

"Please don't tell anybody," Mipha turned away embarrassed.

The stiff iron plates across Gaddison's chest croaked as she straightened her back. "Trust me, my lips are _sealed."_ She looked Mipha up and down. "_If you want I can make sure it gets to Hyrule tonight_."

Mipha's eyes rose from the floor and beamed with joy.

It was important that she didn't respond impulsively. "Gaddison, that is so kind of you, but I could never expect you to do something like that," Her brow flared. "You could have really gotten in trouble with the last stunt you pulled."

Gaddison snickered and shrugged her shoulders. "As if I care," The sound of her feet shuffling around on the floor filled the room. "What's life without a little adventure?"

Gaddison's eyes went blank momentarily. She seemed to be staring off into the distance.

After a moment she looked at Mipha once more. "Hand me the envelope,"

Mipha looked around as if there was someone else inside the room. A bright red blush re-emerged from her cheeks as she slipped the envelope from underneath the stack of papers. She pursed her lips naively as she handed off the letter.

"Please be careful," Mipha said.

A reassuring nod and a graceful bow proved that Gaddison was adamant about getting this done. Nothing made Mipha glow quite like she did when the Appointed Knight was nearby. Without saying anything, she put the envelope away in a pouch on her waist and walked out the door.

Mipha stood inside the mailroom for a moment feeling a rush of excitement come over her. It would be her greatest desire to see him again. Though her mind quickly dove into paranoia, she couldn't shake the joy of knowing he could come back soon.

But what if Gaddison got caught? What if Link didn't want to come or is too busy? Her mind quickly filled with rampant thoughts but at the forefront was a rush of ecstasy that made her numb to the fear.

After a moment, she shook off her delirium and recalled the task at hand; Dento was probably waiting patiently for her next door at the workshop. Before leaving, she made sure all of the various blue-labeled envelopes where properly organized.

One stack for the letters to Dorephan, and the rest for the council. A proper look across the table showed that the job had been done. She placed her hands on her hips contentedly and admired her work. After a long sigh, she walked out the door and made her way towards Dento's workshop.

The sun was now beginning to set, and the reverent orange glow of the sky above tamed the air. Something about Gaddison's willingness to appease Mipha calmed her nerve - she had no doubt Gaddison would be able to maneuver undetected. It was hard not to feel elated at the thought of such a mischievous plight for love - and Mipha was never the one to cause trouble.

When she made it to Dento's, she took a look inside and noticed that there was nobody inside. On a workbench next to a large window laid Mipha's Lightscale Trident, and next to it was a small note.

Curiously, she walked toward it and lifted the note from the table. It read:

"Mipha, I hope this works a bit better for you.

A clean spear is a happy spear.

Love, Dento."

A smile covered her cheeks as she laid the note back down on his desk. The Trident was so well polished, that even with the dim evening glow, it shined bright reflections onto the walls of the workshop. It gave her relief to be reminded that she was always loved. It's so easy for her to get caught up in her tangled web of thoughts. She longed to take care of Link the way her fellow Zora take care of her.

Suddenly, as her mind wandered off, the Lightscale Trident began to glow and emit a low toned hum. The glow was pulsating and it felt as if it were directly connected to the wave of her thoughts. The more she basked in the love inside her heart the more the spear would glow. With her head tilted to the side, she lifted the spear from the table and held it tightly in her hands.

For a moment, she felt the warmth of his coat wrapped over her shoulders; the cool touch of joy whenever he would smile in her direction. There was nothing that could compare to this feeling. The more her soul cried out to him, the more her destiny became clear. She knew without a doubt that her fate was tied to his existence. It was an honor for her to carry the tradition of understanding between Hylia and Zora. Tonight, she would rest easy knowing that a brighter day would come, so long as he was by her side.

* * *

🎶 Pensees - Rostov 🎶

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_I lied, I'm gonna try to blaze through these next few chapters. The rest of this story is taking directly from fandom and excerpts inside the game. Personally, I love all of the Zora and their mysterious back stories. Once again, I highly recommend you all take the time some day to spend some time in the Zora Domain and talk to the NPC's. You won't believe the things they have to say._


	15. Urbosa's Hand

**Chapter 14 - Urbosa's Hand**

On the other side of the sun, the Appointed Knight continued his journey to the Gerudo region. To the west of the Farron Grasslands stood a tall mountain range that divided the Gerudo Desert from Central Hyrule. Atop one of the summits stood a large excavated machine, closely resembling the shape of a camel. Many of the divine beasts across Hyrule had long been discovered, but this one in particular, Vah Naboris, was one of the first to become tamed. Link had made a long and troublesome journey across the entire kingdom to reach this area before nightfall. The distance was grueling, and as he finally made it past the summit to Vah Naboris, the sun had already long-hidden itself behind the horizon.

Link was expected to meet with Zelda and Urbosa, as they continued to research the existence of all of these ancient devices - namely the shrines. His mind was racing between all of the things he had to take care of, and underneath it all, he could not help but think of Mipha and the rest of the domain. Regardless, he forced himself to stay focused on the tasks at hand, as to avoid causing any more friction between himself and Zelda.

Stiff Hylian boots scaled the tall legs of the divine beast Vah Naboris and reached the inner hull with a shortness of breath and shaky legs. There in front of him sat Champion Urbosa with Zelda resting soundly on her lap.

As he approached them, Urbosa tiled her head over her shoulder with a smirk. "Well, you certainly got here fast. I should have expected as much, from the princess's own Appointed Knight." She looked down at Zelda momentarily. Her chest was slowly rising and falling as she slept profoundly on Urbosa's lap. "She was out on a survey all day today. She's still as the sands now."

Link said nothing to this, instead he stood silently before them. He was not sure if Urbosa was aware of his incredibly packed schedule. To her, it probably seemed that Zelda was the only focal point to his duties - which was not the case.

Urbosa grew suspicious of Link's silence, and she looked up at him with a furrowed brow. "So - spill it boy. Have the two of you been getting along alright?"

Link shifted in place. He grew noticeably uncomfortable.

Urbosa scoffed and looked back at Zelda. "It's okay. Your silence speaks volumes." Her eyes narrowed. "She gets frustrated every time she looks up and sees you carrying that sword on your back. It makes her feel like a failure when it comes to her destiny." She looked back at Link. "Don't worry, it's not like you carry the blame in any of this. It's unfortunate because she's put in more than enough time. Ever since she was a young girl, she's gone through rigorous routines to show her dedication." Her gaze was fixed on Zelda's relaxed demeanor. "She once passed out in the freezing waters trying to access the shrines' sealing power, and she has nothing to show for it." She turned her focus toward the horizon. "That's the motivation driving all her research. I'd be doing the same thing." With her hand, she gently moved a strand of hair out of her face. "She truly is special."

Link maintained his position, still silent.

Urbosa sighed and looked down at the ground. "The night brings a chill, we should probably take her inside."

She looked back at Link and laid eyes on his indifferent expression. She snickered quietly to herself and looked back the horizon. A smile curled around her lips. She raised her hand and placed her fingers together. With a snap, a bolt of lightning fell from the skies and cracked the soil beneath. The entire desert erupted with crackling thunder. This immediately shook Zelda awake.

"What the-?!" Zelda exclaimed. "Urbosa, w-what was that?" Her eyes darted back and forth, and she caught sight of the Appointed Knight standing closeby. She turned her head in disbelief. "What?" Her brow flared. "What are you doing here?"

Link winced. Zelda stared at him with displeasure. To this Urbosa erupted into laughter between the two. Zelda began to blush and withdrew her face from Link.

"W-what's so funny!?" Zelda said. "I thought I told you that I don't need his help!"

The mighty bellow of Urbosa's laughter rang across the corridor. The tension between Zelda and the Appointed Knight could only worsen. Fumes nearly blew from his ears - he grew tired of the Royal Family's lack of structure. More specifically Zelda's attitude. The lump in his throat barreled down to his stomach like a knife, and with a disappointed sigh, he swallowed his frustration and turned away from Zelda. The tension was growing ever more severe, and all that could be heard was Urbosa's vibrant cackle echoing in the distance.

* * *

Stagnant winds blew against the Appointed Knight's cloak. After leaving Vah Naboris, the moon still cast a dim wash of light, and he went straight to Hyrule Castle to change out of his musty attire. It would be likely to expect a very busy day ahead of him. When he reached the stable next to the western keep, he dismounted Epona and tied her against a tall wooden post.

"I'll be back soon." He stroked her mane gently. Epona huffed and relaxed her weary bones. Almost immediately, she plopped herself on the floor and laid on her side.

The keep was miserably silent; an eerie presence drowned out the darkness. There were no lights on, except for one dimly flickering candle shining valiantly in the distance. After a closer look, he noticed it was emitting from the side of the Mail Room down below the keep. With his head tilted curiously, he made his way toward it. It was unusual for anyone to be awake at this hour. Judging by the position of the moon, it had to have been around the 3rd or 4th hour of the morning. The only thing that could be heard was the soft leather of his boots scraping up against the stone floor beneath him.

When he finally reached the mailroom, he took a peek inside through the window to see who was inside. To no surprise, it was the clerk from Hateno. A thick pair of bifocals rested on his nose as he meticulously sorted through a pile of papers. In an attempt to not startle him, Link knocked gently on the door and waited.

"Hello?" he paused. "May I come in?"

Shuffling could be heard from inside. "_Just a moment."_

The door opened, and the clerk met Link with a warm smile. "Oh! Master Link! I would never expect to see you awake at this hour." He stared curiously. "How have you been? Do you need anything?"

Link sighed and dropped himself on an empty chair beside the clerk. He simply grunted and shook his head.

"Understandable." he laughed. "It's always nice to have company though. Make yourself at home."

Link took his clammy hands and laid pressure with them against his neck. His head rotating about to relieve tension. When he glanced to the right, he noticed a window by the clerk's stack of paper was cracked open. As he zoned out at the window, _a strange gust of wind blew_ and papers started flying off of the desk.

"Oh no!" the clerk exclaimed. "Quick, close that window!"

Stumbling out of his chair, Link quickly lunged toward the window and tried to pry it shut. For whatever reason, it was stuck in one position, and the wind continued to blow papers about. The clerk walked over and tried to help.

"Stupid thing!" he struggled. "Close damn you!"

As the both wrestled with the window, _another strong gust of wind blew_, and to their surprise, something flew through the crack in the window just before they managed to slam it shut.

They both sighed and the papers that were once on the table became scattered about the room. Resting gently on the table, however, was a single envelope emitting a _strange aura_.

"What's this?" said the clerk. He walked closer to it and laid his hands across it's folds. "Oh?"

Link walked over to the clerk with urgency.

The clerk then turned with a curious glare. "Master Link. This letter is signed to you."

He paused before taking the envelope into his hands. The same aura from before was radiating from the letter. A cold chill fell down his spine and his eyes widened. The side of his cheek where Mipha laid her lips started to tingle. The thought of her lovingly faceless glare crossed his mind and it almost brought a tear to his eye.

He paused, looked down at the envelope, and grabbed it.

The moment his fingers touched the corner, he felt the ripping pull of a current jerking from beneath his legs. The walls of the room sank into the floor and the roof vanished deep into the darkness. He looked around in distress but could not see the clerk anywhere. All that surrounded him was black and the pull of the tide beneath his feet made it impossible to stand. His body was heavy, and his head spun with the melty blackness of the room. On his knees, he felt the pressure of gravity on his back grow stronger. His eyes felt as if they were squeezed tightly in his head. He grunted in pain with the envelope still in his hand, and from the distance a familiar voice was crying out. Her throat was curdling with anguish and it trembled with fear. He opened his eyes in hope of escaping the blackness but instead, it grew louder with the voice. He opened his throat to scream but nothing came out. He could only hear his screams inside his head.

_Link!_

The voice cried.

_Link!_

The voice cried.

The room sank deep into the madness and a hand laid on his shoulder.

Immediately the violence stopped. The Appointed Knight knelt with his face on the ground breathing uncontrollably. His body was shaking.

_"Link!"_ the clerk said. "Master Link, a_re you alright?_"

The Appointed Knight laid shaking in place. His eyes were wide with fear and his state appeared to be catatonic. As the sound of the clerk's voice muffled its way into his conscious, his muscles slowly untightened and his body tumbled over to the side. His eyes blinked and he quickly shook off his delirium.

When he lifted his head, the clerk patted his shoulder. "Now there, you should stay put." He reached over and placed a folded coat under his head. "Are you alright?"

Link shook his head and sat upright. His brow was flared and he seemed to be staring off into the distance. His eyes would blink periodically as if to be carefully piecing together a story. He stood up to his feet and shook his head once more. The clerk stared at him with a concerned gaze.

"Master Link, I hope everything is alright. You became very unsettled just now." He stood up too.

Link could not hear him. His mind was so focused on Mipha and the entire domain. When he looked down, he had noticed that the envelope was laying at his feet, still unopened. He picked it up and felt immediately that the aura had faded. Unsettled by such a bizarre experience, he feared to even open the letter. His head shuddered and he put the envelope deep inside his pocket.

He turned to face the clerk and bowed his head. His feet dropped heavily over the floorboard as he made his way out the door.

* * *

_🎶 NOTHING HERE - There's No Hope (Pulse 8 Ambient Chill Mix) 🎶_

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_Spooky scaries in a romance novel? Yes please.  
_

_(┛❍ᴥ❍ )┛彡┻━┻_


	16. Fate Tied Us Together

**Chapter 15 - Fate tied us Together**

There was little energy left inside him to debate; he was sitting alone inside his room and he couldn't even open the letter without the urge to vomit. Something felt eerie about the aura emanating from it. He recalled that the last time he visited the domain Gaddison asked him if he had touched the envelope. Somehow, the incantation laid upon that letter felt tied to something beyond time itself - a gateway to realms unknown. When he touched it, time had been stripped from reality; he could feel his past, present, and future tied together as one. The mystery lied behind the shrieking voice he heard as the room began to sink around him. Why was it there?

It was early - so early that the sun had not yet risen over the horizon. His eyes felt no rest since the night before, and his mind only grew more weary as time passed.

Something primal came over him as he sat alone in silence, and suddenly, he sprung to his feet and put his cloak over his head as he walked out the door. The stable where he had left Epona was just up ahead. He knew that leaving without making it known would yield all sorts of consequences; but at that moment, he did not care.

Flashes of Mipha's gentle smile were plagued in his mind. It sank his heart to think that its purity was in grave danger.

Epona noticed him from several yards away and gleefully shook her mane in place. Link mounted onto her saddle with his backpack still over his shoulder, and immediately, he sent her forward and barreled toward the east. Tunnelvision had grown firmly around his eyes - he ignored everything along the way; several guards and such went unacknowledged as he continued in the direction of the Domain.

Through the clouds inside his head, he heard a voice spring up from behind.

"_Hey! __Excuse me!"_

Link halted Epona as her hooves scraped against the cobblestone. He turned to see a guard following quickly behind him struggling to catch his breath.

"Sir, it is alarming to hear anybody stampede through this area so late at night. Please explain yourself - "

Link glared at the guard.

"I will not return for some time." His leer was fixed intensely. "I will not be available until I then."

The guard shook his head in disbelief and opened his throat to speak, but before words could escape, the Appointed Knight faced eastward once more and sent Epona forward.

A gust of wind blew as the Guard stood in silence, and the only thing to pair the void was the sound of Epona's feet trotting valiantly in the distance.

* * *

On the other side of the sun, Mipha had awoken early to the cool dew of the sunrise. This day would favor a trip along the scale of Ruto's Mountain. The path leading out of Zora's Domain was tangled with a series of bridges that removed the toils of having to cross lake after lake.

Luto's crossing was known to be one of the more significant passages due to its gorgeous architecture and endless outreach. Patches of lakes and rivers were walled-up by incredibly high summits that dwarfed the land below it, and the sun cast elegant shadows across the marsh that tethered the Lanayru region.

A machine by the name of Vah Ruta stood tall above the two main bridges leading up to the Zora's domain. Mipha stretched her arms out toward it as she prepared to scale the height of the summit. There was a well-known shortcut that wrapped around the backside of the mountain that would avoid the risk of falling.

When she reached the top of the hill, she lifted her head to see the massive behemoth, Ruta, towering over her. It whirred to life as she approached, and a blue glow began to emit from its joints.

She smiled and bowed at the divine beast.

"Good morning." Mipha whispered. "I am sorry to wake you."

The machine groaned loudly as the long trunk of a nose rose slowly into the sky. It welcomed her presence.

Mipha tilted her head joyfully and stared at the beast.

"You may not know me, but I am the one who was chosen to guide you through the calamity. We will be working very closely together for a long time."

The machine glowed brighter in response. A loud ring came from inside of it as it roared in joy of Mipha's presence. The ancient gears twisted and turned from inside its belly as it continued to slowly awaken.

Just as she was preparing to enter, a valiant figure caught her attention from down below. Her head turned, and she saw a familiar blue-cloak atop a hearty brown steed bolting towards the domain. A wave of curiosity came over her, and suddenly, the task at hand vanished from the forefront of her mind.

Her heart jumped inside of her chest, and a smile worked its way across her lips.

Without thinking twice, she walked away from Vah Ruta, and its teeming blue aura faded the further she distanced herself. As if never there, the life inside the divine beast vanished as Mipha continued to make her way down the edge of the cliff.

Below, the Appointed Knight slowly halted his steed. There was a point past Luto's Crossing where the terrain was far too rugged for traveling on horseback. A moment of hesitation arose; he did not want to leave Epona unattended. He looked and found a post nearby, sheltered by a series of trees, and he used it to tie Epona in place. A gentle stroke of her mane settled her down, and she happily plopped herself down beside the post.

His boots pressed against the pavement as they echoed gently toward the domain. Fumes of moisture left his lungs as he adjusted to the humidity in the area. The final bridge which led to the gates was covered by a light fog and made it hard to see past the midpoint.

He felt a light tug coming from behind his shoulder. He was startled, and he turned his head over his shoulder to see her standing there. She stood elegantly; vibrant and pure, the healing grace herself. A wave of relief came over him as he stared at her.

"Hi, stranger," She whispered.

His eyes widened - her beauty never ceased to amaze him.

A light blush emerged from her cheeks. "I hope I didn't upset you."

Instinctively, the Appointed Knight reached out his hand and pulled her tightly into his arms.

Her stomach tied up into a knot as she gently met his chest and caught a waft of his cloak. A shivering touch of peace came over her. Her hands gripped onto the small of his back as she sank helplessly into his arms.

Her eyes were sealed shut. She burrowed her face into his shirt.

"I did not expect to see you here today," her voice shook under his tunic.

He lifted her head with his hand and stared at her firmly.

His eyes scanned over her. "Is everything okay?"

"Yes," Her eyes darted across his. "Why?"

A lump formed in his throat as he recalled the ripping tide caused by the aura of the envelope. "I got another letter." His eyes shook.

Waves of ecstasy flew from her chest and she fought against her breath. "Yes well," she looked away. "Now that you're here," She paused. Her lip quivered "Things could not be better." The grip on his shirt pulled tightly together, and she looked up at him once more. "Do you need a place to stay?"

"I'm staying here. I came here for you." His eyes were trained on hers."I hope it's not a problem that I stay."

She blinked in disbelief and shook her head.

"Not at all." Her lips were shaking. "You're welcome to stay at the inn."

She paused as reality slowly set in.

"Though it may be a good idea to keep you hidden from the elders."

Link laughed. "That's understandable." He sighed. "I can keep a low profile."

"They're usually off doing other things." Her cheeks were stiff from her astonishment. A familiar touch of bliss crashed over her mind.

To their surprise, a voice sprang up from behind them. "Oi!"

They both turned around to see Bazz walking toward them with a pleasant gleam.

"Fancy seeing you again, brother!" His legs paced quickly toward them. "What brings you here today?"

He glanced over at Mipha. His eyes filled with hope and concern.

"Just wanted to say hi."

Bazz lifted his chin proudly. "What a treat to have you here again." He laid his hand on Link's shoulder. "It's great to see you."

Mipha stood candidly between them.

"I hope this is okay."

"Of course!" Bazz said. "Once you two are settled we should go grab drinks nearby! There's a pub around the Akalla region - it's a bit of a hike but it's worth the trip!"

Link stood silently as Mipha beamed with excitement.

"Sure!" She said. "Let me help the Appointed Knight find a room and we'll come find you. Maybe Gaddison and Tottika can tag along too?"

Bazz nodded. "You read my mind. I'll go look for them."

Bazz turned away from them, unsealed the entrance and let them both in. Mipha walked closely beside the Appointed Knight, as if afraid to let him stray too far. Once they reached the main plaza, she took a quick scan across the domain to make sure there weren't any captains or elders around. When her eyes grazed over the inn, she noticed that it was packed full, and Kayden was running back and forth attending various travelers.

"Oh no," Mipha said. "This is unexpected," she paused dead in her tracks.

Link tapped his chin gently. He looked over at Mipha. "Is there anywhere else I could stay? I don't need much, I brought a sleeping bag so I could sleep on the ground somewhere."

Mipha flared her brow. "Oh don't be silly. Are you serious?" She lifted a finger in the air. "Lucky for you, there's a bed over by the East Reservoir. It stays available for when we do surveying." She paused. "It's very intimate and quiet."

Link nodded and adjusted the bag on his back. A sigh of relief left his lungs.

"Lead the way," he said.

* * *

🎶 Giuliano Poles - Belonged 🎶

* * *

_I know this may be tl:dr but I think it's worth sharing. I suffer from a case of anxiety so severe that there often isn't a day where I come home from work and don't think about kicking the old bucket. My mother and grandmother wrestled with the same issue all their lives, so it's sort of a given in our family. _

_Through all of life's toils and troubles, __I have to say, there isn't much that brings me as much joy as when I see all of the beautiful things you guys have to say about my writing. Even though this is nothing but a hobby for me to pass time, I write with every bit of integrity in me with hopes that maybe the stories I tell will touch you in some way. I took a lot of facts from BOTW to write this, but I also injected a couple of personal life experiences in here to give it a more realistic touch._

_Sorry for the sappy note. I felt it was important to express my gratitude to all 75 (or so) of you following this story. I wish I could meet every single one of you personally and give you a big hug. Thank you for everything._


	17. Once More

**Chapter 16 - Once More**

It was seldom that they ever got to see each other, so they took advantage of every moment and caught up on all of the things that they had missed anew. The hike to the East Reservoir was lengthy, but their conversation had lifted the gaps of silence in between. The glow of her smile was contagious, and there was a burning urge inside of him to protect it at all costs. An ounce of fear lurked deep inside his heart as he fought to push back the memory of all the things he had experienced after touching the envelope. It was difficult to keep to himself, but he knew that it would not be wise to mention it. Taking any amount of joy away from her smile felt almost unethical.

This time she had quite a lot to say; her voice was endearing. Recapping all of Sidon's typical mischief sounded like music to his ears. Though he did his best to focus on the things she was saying, the glow of the water's reflection dancing against her face was paralyzing, and all he could hear was his pulse beating inside his head alongside the gentle hum of her voice.

They reached the peak of the reservoir, where the air was thin and plagued with moisture. The altitude of the dam was surprisingly daunting. It separated the body of water inside the reservoir from the gentle streams that surrounded the domain. He took a deep breath and swallowed the humidity that filled the air. It was so pure compared to that of Hyrule's typical climate, which was stiff and polluted with stagnant winds. Mipha was just ahead of him, walking toward a large bed sheltered by tall linen veils. To the side of it were two stone night-stands which housed several herbs and spices within.

She turned to him with glee. "Feel free to put your things away wherever you'd like." Her arms folded a soft fleece blanket in front of her. She placed it at the foot of the bed. "Hopefully this will keep you warm."

A smile escaped his grip. "Thank you," he whispered.

Her eyes were glowing. "It's my pleasure,"

Link paused and took a look around. The immense silence that surrounded them was admirable.

"It's so peaceful here." He said. "The last time I was here with Rivan I didn't even notice half of the things I'm seeing now."

His eyes were glued to her. Regardless of their environment, she was the only thing keeping his mind at ease.

Mipha gleamed with curiosity. "So you feel comfortable here?"

He nodded. "Yes, of course." He walked closer to her. A blush rose around Mipha's cheeks. "If there's anything I could do to help you, please just let me know." He said.

He reached out and placed his hand over her face.

Her eyes widened. Rough and callous were the hands of the Appointed Knight. Without any time for her to react, he took her head and pulled her inward, pressed tightly against his chest. His chin rested right above her head. Her skin grew warm. Once more, she found the cool touch of heaven lurking somewhere beneath the fabric of his cloak. The sound of the waterfall rushed gently in the distance, and the sound of sweet solitude had finally enveloped them. It was impossible to resist. Waves of tranquility flowed gently downward, and she was so pent up with nerves that she was shaking.

When he felt her shudder, he tightened his grip against her shoulders. His chin dug deeper into her head. Could he be feeling pain? Or was it love? Was it fear? He was never one to jump quickly into his emotions, but the feeling of her body buried up against his chest was nearly sublime.

He shut his eyes tightly. "I don't want anybody to hurt you," he muttered. "I don't want anything to ever hurt you."

Her hands grabbed a fistful of his tunic and her body shook uncontrollably. This, of all places, was the last that she would ever imagine hearing those words from him. A tear snuck out from her eye as she felt this fleeting moment pass her by. She concealed it by burrowing her face further into his tunic. Nothing on earth could compare to the way he made her feel.

They stood together in silence, and the sky grew grey. A light drizzle began to fall. She lifted her head close to his with her hands still resting on him. A tempting opportunity had finally presented itself, but she refrained.

"Is everything okay?" she asked. A wave of concern was apparent upon her brow.

His hand grazed against her cheek. "I don't know." His eyes darted back and forth across her face. "Something shatters inside of me every time I look at you."

She stared at him as he shifted himself upright.

"Someone like you should be kept away from everything," he said. "You are too perfect to be here in this world." His eyes seemed to stare right through her. "Something about the way you look at me makes me shiver."

Mipha raised an eyebrow and grinned. "Is that a good thing?"

"I'm not sure." He chuckled.

A moment of silence emerged. The weather was becoming unforgiving, and the light drizzle that had covered them quickly turned into a downpour.

Mipha squinted and looked up at the sky. "It's strange. I-" She trailed off. Her face turned bright red as she looked away. "I don't know if I should say this but-" She shuddered. "I feel exactly the same way about you." The ground was the only place she could look to hide her face from Link. "Maybe fate tied us together."

A long-winded sigh left his lungs. All he wanted was for her to be safe.

Just then a voice came up from behind. "Uh - sorry to interrupt."

They both turned to see Gaddison standing behind them. Mipha quickly retracted her hands from him and faced Gaddison.

"G-gaddison" Mipha muttered.

Gaddison chuckled. "It's starting to rain. We should get going before it gets worse. I think Bazz is waiting for us down at the plaza."

Mipha nodded her head. Her face was burning bright red. "O-ok. We'll be right down."

Gaddison bowed to Mipha and turned to walk down the steps of the Reservoir. Link looked over at Mipha who's embarrassment was more than apparent. He reached out and grabbed her hand. The warmth of his torn leather gloves gave her all the comfort she could ever need.

* * *

🎶 _Luis Miehlich - I tried to Reach Out (with Handbook of Magic)_ 🎶

* * *

_My cat has this habit of scratching up anything on the wall and he kind of looks like baby yoda.  
_

_Also, I've moved my update schedule to every two weeks on Saturday. Probably around 8pm EST? Idk._


	18. The Brigade

**Chapter 17 - The Brigade  
**

When the wheels creaked to a halt in front of the Wetland Stable, the rain had finally stopped pouring down from up above, and even from inside the chassis, there was a hint of dew rising from the moisture outside. One by one, they unboarded the carriage with stiff muscles. Bazz stepped down from the carriage last behind Gaddison and tipped the courier along the way.

"I'll go find us a table," Tottika said.

He walked inside while the rest followed closely behind; Mipha was walking alongside Link with a silent glare of uncertainty around her shoulders. A stealthy touch allowed her to find an opening, and she pressed her arm against him after every step he took; a sly attempt to make her closeness to him seem more like an accident. Bazz, however, was already keen to their secret charade and took the opportunity to be nosy.

"Lady Mipha," Bazz said. "Why don't you go inside with Tottika? I need to borrow Link for a moment."

Mipha nodded with glee. "Sure."

When she was far enough away, Bazz tackled Link's fortitude with a firm but sarcastic cough.

"So," Bazz croaked. "You and Mipha?"

Link quickly became flushed with red. "Excuse me?"

Bazz pressed onward. "Y'know," he nudged at Link's side.

Link shook his head. "I'm not sure what you mean."

A mischievous grin was painted on Bazz's face. "Oh, don't be coy with me, Master Link. It's obvious you two have been getting along well lately."

Link finally lowered his shoulders in defeat. His eyes were glazed over.

"If you're referring to my time alone in her, then you'd be right," Link looked down at the ground. "I never get to see her."

Bazz raised a curious eyebrow. He sensed an ounce of pain in the Appointed Knight's voice.

"Hey now," Bazz said. "I was only picking fun. There's no harm in you two being together." He firmly laid a hand on Link's shoulder. "Is something wrong?"

Link's burdened eyes met Bazz's. A wave of fear was apparent upon his brow.

"Hey," Bazz tightened his grip on Link's shoulder. "Don't worry." His eyes stared off into the distance. "I'm sure you feel the pressure of the powers at play, but there is no use fearing something that we cannot control."

Link nodded. His stale deadpan was wearing thin.

Bazz grinned from ear to ear. "Worry not. Today, we will rejoice in the tranquility of each other's company! Let us celebrate!" He threw his arms out to the side.

Just then, Tottika walked out of the pub with a pint of stout in his hand.

"Way ahead of you," he said. His hand brought the stout up to his chin. "It's kind of packed in there, but I think I found us a table."

Bazz nodded. "Great, we'll be right in." He turned to Link and winked. "_I could go for a drink myself._"

Link chuckled under his breath and straightened his back. Bazz was right - there's no use dwelling on things that could not be controlled. At the very least, for Mipha's sake, today he would swallow his uncertainty.

The clanking of silverware amongst hearty chatter filled the inside of the pub. Tottika pulled a chair out from underneath a round table and plopped himself down with an anguished grunt.

"I gotta say, this stout is giving me life," he said.

Gaddison sat next to him and glared. "Slow down before you get sick."

Mipha and Link both sat down on the opposite side.

Bazz took a seat right next to them. "Y'know this is just like old times, minus the booze." He chuckled. "The Brigade is back together again!"

There was a drink in Bazz's hand, and another had just arrived from a waiter.

"This one's for you." Bazz pushed the drink towards Link.

Link sighed. "Thanks."

Bazz stood up from the table. "Don't mention it. I'm gonna go to the front and see if they have our favorite deck of cards."

Link stared at him, puzzled. "Deck of cards?"

Gaddison rolled her eyes in embarrassment. "There's a bar game that Bazz is obsessed with playing. He always drags us into it."

A short pause emerged at the table as they waited for Bazz to return. Gaddison was slowly beginning to pick up on Mipha's slightly dampened demeanor. She also noticed Link's unending willingness to provide her with comfort. Together, they sat candidly pressed against each other beneath the table, and Link would momentarily look to his side to re-asses Mipha's ever-changing mood.

With impeccable timing, Bazz returned to the table with a small box in his hands. An eager smile was painted across his face.

"Alright weenies, it's time to play," he said.

Tottika turned a weary side-eye. "How does this work again?"

Bazz laid the box on the table. "Simple - we have a deck of cards with a series of various phrases, and our objective will be to try and guess what is being said without being able to hear. Normally, one could simply cover their ears, but there's a pair of cups inside here to make it interesting."

Bazz opened the box and began to remove its contents. "It's sort of like a game of telephone, but different."

Mipha and Gaddison waited politely while the other two cleared the table.

"I think I'll watch this time," Mipha said quietly.

Her chair was pinned up against the Appointed Knight's leg. While Bazz sorted out the deck of cards, Link stealthily slid his hand beneath the table and laid it on her's. Her cheeks turned rosy, and Link pulled away after a short grip of her palms as he laid his hands on the table.

"I'll give it a go then," Link said. He looked over to his side. "Gaddison, are you playing?"

Gaddison shrugged. "Sure, why not."

Bazz shuffled the deck of cards in his hands and tapped them against the table. "Alright," He placed the deck of cards in front of Gaddison and put on the earcups. "I'll go first - you read, Gaddsion."

She re-shuffled the cards in front of him. Bazz rolled his eyes and took a sip of his drink.

"Okay, I'm ready." He sealed his ears further with his hands.

Gaddison lifted a card from the top of the deck and began to read it.  
She smirked at him as she cleared her throat and carefully relayed the sentence on the card.

"_I_ _hope it's sunny today," _she said.

There was a moment of silence. He blinked aimlessly as he tried to formulate a sentence. The words slowly rolled out of his mouth.

"I opened the salad?"

"No -" Gaddison chortled. "_I hope it's sunny today." _

"I hope it's -" Bazz trailed off. "Independence day?"

Gaddison threw her palm against her face. She fought to read the card without chuckling.**"**Dude - _I hope. It's sunny. Today." _She bent her lips to enunciate more clearly.

Bazz read her lips carefully. "I hope. Its Salad-? Is it a salad?"

"NO," She bent over the table. "_SUNNY. TODAY."_

Tottika still had his face buried in his hands.

"Oh!" Bazz exclaimed. "I hope it's sunny today!"

"Yes." Gaddison huffed. She laid the card down on the table. "Your turn Tottika." She handed the cups to Tottika and pushed the deck towards Link. "Here, you can read."

Mipha giggled into her hands as she watched Link sharply pull a card from the top of the deck. It hadn't occurred to her that this was the first time all 5 of them had been out together since childhood. It felt nostalgic and almost remissed. For her, their combined presence could make bright colors out of gray; the dull routines of their day-to-day lives felt much less mundane.

Link turned to look at Tottika. "Okay, ready?"

"Yes."

He paused and read the sentence on the card slowly. "_Let's go for a dip in the pool."_

Tottika's eyes darted around the table as if to calculate. The boxy hum of the cups over his ears were making it impossible to hear.

"Go forth." he paused. "Deep in the pool?"

Bazz erupted from beside Link and wheezed loudly into his arm.

"Go forth!" Bazz mocked. His laughter echoed off the walls of the pub.

"No -" Link paused. "_Let's go."_ He paused. _ "_For a _dip. _In the_ pool."_

Tottika's brow narrowed. "Deep?!"

"No dude." Link exclaimed.

Tottika glared.

Link cackled. "Dip!" He mimicked the gesture of someone diving with his arms.

"Ohh, dip!" Tottika threw his head back and removed the cups from over his ears. "Jeez, I'm getting too old for this."

Link laid the card on the table. Mipha giggled gently off to the side. Gaddison chuckled and wiped a tear from her eye. Tottika handed her the cups and she immediately rejected them with a firm shake of her head.

"Oh, I'm good," Gaddison said. "Here Link, you try."

The eyes of the Appointed Knight widened as he looked over at Mipha. She laughed quietly in his direction. Link shoved the cups onto his ears and waited for Tottika to receive the deck from Bazz. It was extremely difficult to hear anything above the sound of his own breath.

"Ready?" Bazz said.

Link nodded his head anyway.

"Okay," Bazz poked out his chest as he read the sentence. "_Watch out for sharks!" _

Link stared at Bazz for a moment. Gaddison and Mipha laughed meagerly at his dumbfounded expression.

After a while, Link shook his head and said the first thing that came to mind. "Uh - watch out for Clark?"

The table slammed into hysteria.

"Clark?!" Gaddison threw her head back and she wheezed uncontrollably into Tottika's shoulder.

"_Sharks." _Bazz repeated.

"Bark?" Link glanced at Mipha before returning his perplexed gaze to Bazz.

Bazz shook his head. "Sharks!"

Link stared blankly and did not even mutter a response.

A weary palm slid across Bazz's face. "Oh my god."

"Okay okay, try another." Link laid his elbows on the table. "Hit me again."

Bazz snickered and drew another card from the deck. "Alright, here we go." His teeth clenched in an attempt to clearly pronounce each word. "_I knew that song,"_ he paused. "_When I was a kid." _

Link paused. Once again he had no clue what Bazz said. He did his best to form the shape of his lips into words.

Link looked at Bazz with confidence. "I knew that dog was teeny."

Tottika, Bazz, and Gaddison all laughed hysterically at Link's unruly confidence. Mipha fought to fight back a cackle.

Tottika continued. "Okay, two parts," he raised two fingers in the air. "_I knew. That song." _

Link nodded, still sure of his answer. "I knew that dog."

"No -_ Song." _Tottika said.

_"_Wrong?!"

"_SONG." _Tottika blared.

Link paused._ "_DOOR?!"

Gaddison and Tottika croaked outloud. "SONG-UH." They split the syllables into two. "SONG!"

Link's brow raised his forehead into wrinkles. "Oh - I knew that song!"

Bazz shook his head and wheezed heavily against the table.  
He laid the card down. "Nice job." He reached for the cups in Link's hand.

Link shook his head as he swapped them for the deck of cards.

"This is tough," he said.

Gaddison snuck a glance over at Mipha, who was gleefully watching and absorbing all of Link's joy. It warmed her heart to see the princess this way. Mipha, of all people deserved to feel loved and free from worry; and it seemed that they had done just that. She would still peek over regularly to monitor her behavior.

Tottika put the cups onto his ears and pressed his hands firmly over them. "Ok go."

Link looked down at the card. He raised an eyebrow as he calculated an efficient way to enunciate the phrase on the front.

"_Could you ask your doctor for advice?"_ Link read.

Another moment of silence emerged. "Something about - french fries?" said Tottika.

Link shook his head and repeated. "No. _Could you ask your doctor for advice?" _

Tottika paused and stared at Link with a puzzled glare. "Uh- Do you actually have four friends?"

Bazz slammed his elbows on the table as Tottika continued to joust with his own thoughts.

"Could you ask your doctor for _four friends_?" Tottika said confidently.

Link shook his head. His shoulders bounced in place as he chuckled to himself. "Not even close."

"Dammit," Tottika slammed his hands on the table. "What was it?!" He removed the cups from his ears.

"_Could. you. ask. Your doctor. For advice." _Link said slowly.

Tottika shook his head, laughing. "Amazing,"

The hysteria coming from their table was attracting a lot of unnecessary attention. From just a few tables away, a group of ill-faced travelers were looking onto their conversation with disgust. They looked as if they were vehemently offended by the brigade's obscene and unwarranted joy. Amongst themselves, the travelers would speak short huffed sentences and shake their heads in disapproval.

Bazz could feel the rising tension coming from behind his shoulder. He turned around and met the travelers' gaze with a silent leer. Their faces grew amused with anger. One of the more audacious of the group threw his head up at Bazz in an attempt to intimidate him. Bazz unflinchingly narrowed his gaze upon the travelers and encaged a silent rage inside of his chest. It dawned on him that it would not take long for an altercation to arise. Calmy, he withdrew his gaze towards the brigade and focused on Gaddison.

"We should go," Bazz said.

Gaddison paused from laughing and furrowed her brow. "Why?"

Bazz flung his eyes in the direction of the upset travelers and Gaddison turned her head to look. There was a member of this group who upgraded to lodging a toothpick in his molar to make himself look more intense. Gaddison simply rolled her eyes and rested her arms on the table.

"Is there a problem?" she said plainly. "Are we not allowed to enjoy ourselves?"

Bazz reluctantly shook his head. "It's best that we leave now."

He stood up and the travelers froze in place. Mipha and Link looked at each other with concern before aimlessly standing up too.

"Is everything alright?" Mipha said.

Bazz was still focused on the table behind them. He gathered his things from the table and gestured the brigade toward the exit. Gaddison stood up after him with an overbearing sense of fury. She would have been the first to stay put until a confrontation arose, but she understood that Bazz was trying to keep Mipha and the Appointed Knight safe from harm. On any other day, she would have gladly squashed this group of travelers right then and there.

"Fine," Gaddison grumbled. "Let's get going then."

As they made their way toward the exit, the loud shuffle of several chairs could be heard from behind. A voice chimed out from the commotion.

"You know there's a reason you don't see Zora around here," said the traveler. "You should stick to your ponds and lakes."

Gaddison stopped dead in her tracks and locked her jaw. Bazz turned toward the group with a calm expression and spoke.

"We don't want any problems guy," Bazz said. "We're on our way out."

The traveler scoffed and stared at Link.

"Why are you with them?" The traveler said.

He glanced at the Master Sword hanging from the Appointed Knight's back.

"They're going to take that blade away from you." The group of travelers snickered. "The Zora can't resist a gamble."

Gaddison swung her head around and glared daggers at the group.

_"You need to watch your mouth,"_ she hissed.

The traveler flinched as his eyes met Gaddison's. Her cold stare was viciously intimidating, and he withdrew his formerly pompous demeanor as her eyes laid knives into his petty ego. She took one step closer and he staggered back into his seat with terror quickly plagued across his face. Bazz put his hand on her shoulder and yanked her back towards the exit.

"It's not worth it," he said under his breath.

She clenched her teeth. _"Someone should teach them a lesson,"_

It would have taken the strength of a thousand men to properly pry her away, but with a bit of consideration, he dragged Gaddison out step-by-step while the others followed closely behind. Many bystanders inside the pub were looking on with concern. By way of Gaddison's merciless fury, the band of travelers had effectively been silenced, and the brigade had barely managed to evade a risky altercation. In a situation such as this, getting physical would have only worsened their case. They ran the risk of creating a false strawman during a time of political tension. When they were far enough away, Link shafted Bazz with his elbow and inquired.

"What was that all about?" Link said. He struggled to keep up with Bazz's long strides.

There was a faint hint of rage on Bazz's brow. His tone was dampened when he spoke.

"Typical bigot," Bazz said. "Sorry you had to see that."

Link had much more to say, but the hellbent glare that Bazz wore refrained him from doing so. It was probably best not to talk about it anymore. The carriage that transported them was just up ahead, and Gaddison was already boarding the hull. Link was quickly swirling with thoughts when suddenly, he felt a gentle touch tug at his fingertips. Mipha walked closely behind him and she tied her hands into his. It was as if their feelings were tethered - she could feel his concern growing, and just like before, she sought to cure the Appointed Knight of any ailment. Her touch quickly gave color back into his spirit, and he sighed in relief as tranquility came over him. By no explanation of his own, her presence always seemed to make him stronger. Her touch brought his mind clarity. The altercation had passed but it was a clue to the rising tension between the Zora and Hylians. He realized his role as an ally of the domain was crucial. His urge to protect Mipha's vibrant smile now had a much deeper explanation.

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🎶 Delectatio - Nothing Left to Give 🎶

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_I've reached out to most of you personally, but my updates will unfortunately remain sporadic until further notice. Thanks to everyone who's been super patient with me through all this nonsense. Hopefully this could give everyone time to catch up on some older chapters! Love you guys._


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